Assassin in the Void
by psychored1911
Summary: When Louise summoned a familiar, she wanted one that would change the world. Heaven knows what will happen when she summons a Modern day assassin into her life.
1. Enter, the assassin

**Assassin in the void**

**By psychored1911**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed or Familiar of Zero**

**If anyone might not follow, this takes place at the very beginning of Familiar of Zero and near the end of the Original Assassin's Creed.**

**Also most weapons, items, and people are based on the canon of either Assassin's Creed or Familiar of Zero or real life.**

**Chapter 1: Enter, the assassin**

* * *

><p><strong>Tristain Magical Academy<strong>

In the courtyard, the second year students were performing the Familiar Summoning Ritual. Everyone summoned amazing Familiars, from owls, to snakes, and someone even summoned a dragon. Louise, one of the students stood nervously.

"And last up," her teacher, Colbert announced "Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere, please perform your summon."

Louise gulped "Um, yes sir," Louise pulled out her wand and started chanting "**O, Pentagon of the five elemental powers, heed my summoning and bring forth my familiar!**"

_*BOOM*_

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location, Italy, September 7, 2012<strong>

"Is everyone here?" Several assassins started planning their infiltration "I don't know how long until they finish the memory," William Miles, the leader of the Assassin Order, said with worry "But from the E-mail that Lucy sent me, it's going to be soon."

While William Miles spoke, a couple of the Assassins were whispering amongst themselves about the operation.

"It seems like a bit of trouble to send out most of the Italian Cell out for one guy, don't you think?" One of the Assassins said whispered to the young man sitting next to him.

"I believe that it's not our call to say that," A much younger Assassin, one of East Asian descent, said calmly "Besides, if Abstergo is after something in his genetic memory, then it's definitely something important."

"Yeah, well..." The elder Assassin glanced at his companion. "Wait a minute, aren't you a bit young to be in this?"

"Being young has its benefits." The younger Assassin admitted "If I had to, I could disguise myself as a foreign exchange student and apply for an internship in Abstergo. I could become a mole for our Order and those Templars would be none the wiser."

"No, I mean aren't you a bit young to be participating in an operation that can potentially kill you?"

In response, the young Assassin tapped on his belt holster, one that held a suppressed H&K USP, as well as activating two hidden blades before retracting them "Don't worry, I believe I can handle myself."

The elder Assassin said, his worry not waning "Well, if you say so..."

"By the way, name's Hiraga. Saito Hiraga." The younger Assassin presented his hand, waiting for his elder acquaintance to shake it.

"I'll be sure to remember it." the elder Assassin said "You can call me Frank."

As the two Assassins continued talking, William Miles started wrapping up his little debriefing.

"You all know our objective, now go out there and commence the rescue operation, NOW!" All of the other assassins saluted and ran out the door. Saito shrugged, put on a red and white Kevlar hoodie **[A/N: think of the original Saito's hoodie, but with a white base and a red stripe]**, and put the hood on, a smile on his face.

* * *

><p><strong>Several minutes later, in the Abstergo research Facility<strong>

Saito came out of an air vent and found himself in a broom closet. He slowly opened the door and saw a lone guard holding a Steyr TMP. The guard quickly noticed him "Hey, who are-" he couldn't get anything else in as Saito quickly dashed at him and stabbed him with one of his hidden blades.

"You don't mind if I borrow this, do you?" he joked as he took the TMP from the dead guard.

**-WARNING! WARNING! INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!-**

The alarm sounded throughout the entire building. Saito picked up his radio and pressed a button. "All right, who set off the alarm?" Saito sternly asked.

_*We're all at our posts, what about- wait, where the hell is Frank?*_ Someone yelled over the radio.

_*Sorry, I had to use the bathroom.*_ Frank said sheepishly.

"Damn it Frank! What the hell were you thinking?" Saito yelled into the radio, not realizing that he was attracting the attention of several guards "How the hell did you set the alarm off by going into the bathroom?"

_*Um, I fell and a guard noticed me with my pants down.*_ Frank said over the radio, embarrassment present in his voice.

"What the- how did- you know what, never mind. Mr. Miles is gonna deal with you if we ever get out of this alive." Saito yelled before turning off his radio. "Seriously, idiots like that going to be the death of us!"

"They probably are," One of the Abstergo guards commented. Saito turned around, seeing a large group of Abstergo guards, assault rifles ready.

Saito paled. He noticed a grenade on the dead guard. Before the Abstergo guards could react, he quickly grabbed it, took out the pin and chucks it at the group before making a run for it.

"Grenade!" One of the guards yelled as they scrambled away from it.

_*BOOM!*_

The grenade exploded, taking the lives of several guards.

As Saito ran, he saw more and more Abstergo guards obstructing his path "Oh come on!" he yelled, firing the TMP at the guards in front of him.

_*RATATATATATATATAT!* _

All the guards looked at the bullet holes in their clothes before falling on the ground. "Hmph, easy." Saito said as he tossed the TMP aside. He searched each of the bodies for anything useful and found a keycard and several 9 mm rounds. "This could come in handy," Saito said to himself.

"Freeze!" One guard pointed a Desert eagle at his head, though fear was present in his voice. Without even looking, Saito stabbed the guard in the foot with one of his hidden blades and stabbed him in the chest with the other as he fell down in pain.

"Jeez, these guys are everywhere." He said as he took the Desert Eagle from the dead guard. He looked around "Where are the other assassins?"

As he spoke, one of his fellow assassins was being chased by a guard "Help me!" she yelled as she ran. Saito quickly drew the Desert Eagle and started aiming at the guard. "Don't shoot, don't shoot!" she slid behind Saito "Okay shoot!" she said as Saito pulled the trigger.

_*BANG*_

The guard slowly fell down, dead. Saito helped up the other assassin up "Thanks Saito," she smiled as she ran back.

"Don't mention it Alexa." Saito put away the desert eagle and started running after her "Where's everyone else?"

"I think Frank is dead." Alexa said.

"No surprise there," Saito thought out loud "Anyone else still alive?"

"I don't know, call your radio," she said as they ran.

Saito stopped and pulled out his radio "Hey, are there any other assassins out there?" he called into the radio.

*I'm here Saito.* one voice yelled

*Loud and clear Saito.* another yelled.

*You called?* another yelled.

*What'cha need?* one last one said.

"Where's everyone else?" Saito called into the radio.

*That is everyone; the rest of us are dead!* one of the others yelled through the radio.

Saito stopped in his tracks, thinking about the other assassins. "We have to retreat, head for the rendezvous point,"

* * *

><p><strong>A few minutes later<strong>

Saito and the other assassins met at the rendezvous point. "Here's our plan; you guys are going to get out of here on the van, and I am going to act as bait and draw their attention, understand?"

"…" The assassins stayed silent. They did not want to leave anyone behind, especially if the one they left was younger than most of them.

Before anyone can complain, a large group of Abstergo guards armed with various assault rifles and machine guns "There are only six of them. We have them outnumbered." One said to a radio.

"Make no mistakes. Now go!" Saito yelled. He watched as the other assassins left. He turned towards the Abstergo guards and took out a flash grenade. "You want me Abstergo bastards," he tossed it at the group "Come get me!"

_*FLASH*  
><em>

As the grenade flashed, Saito quickly scaled the walls and climbed onto one of the lights.

The Abstergo guards looked around "Where the hell did he go?" One of the guards yelled in outrage. As he was yelling, Saito pounced, assassinating both him and another guard.

Several Abstergo guards swapped their assault rifles for their asps (Batons) and started swinging at Saito.

One lunged at Saito with his baton. Saito sidestepped and slashed him in the neck.

"Bastard!" another Abstergo guard swung at Saito. Before it can connect, Saito ducked and stabbed his chest.

Realizing an opening in the Abstergo guards, Saito tackled through them "Can't catch me you assholes!" he yelled, provoking the guards to follow him.

As he ran, pulled out the Desert Eagle and shot several rounds behind him until the clip was empty. As he dropped the handgun, he kept running until he faced a door locked with a keycard. With haste, he took the keycard he got earlier and swiped it.

**-ACCESS DENIED!-**

"Oh come on!" Saito yelled. He turned around, finding the Abstergo guards cornering him.

"Okay kid, if you give up quietly, we will think about sparing your life." One of the guards said, aiming his assault rifle at Saito.

"…" Saito stayed silent 'I guess this is it for me.' He could either die or be kept alive and get subjected to human experimentation. Either way, his life was going to end right there, not fulfilling anything for his Order. If only-

_**O, Pentagon of the five elemental powers…**_

Saito blinked "You guys heard that, didn't you?"

The Abstergo guards gave a look of confusion.

_**Heed my summoning…**_

"I'm serious; you did hear that; there's some girl's voice speaking into my head!" he yelled, his voice akin to hysteria.

One of the guards whispered into another guard's ear "I think this kid has a few loose screws; we should kill this guy."

The other guard nodded "Agreed." He and the rest of the guards readied their rifles.

_**And bring forth my familiar!**_

A portal formed directly behind Saito and started pulling him in. Saito struggled against it, but it sucked it in as he and the portal disappeared.

The Abstergo guards stood there, dumbfounded. One of the guards reached for his radio "Um... all Assassins neutralized sir." As he turned off the radio, he turned towards the other guards "I'm going to pretend I didn't see that." he looked at the other guards as they nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, back at the magical Academy<strong>

_*BOOM*_

Louise, Colbert, and the other students coughed and blew the smoke away.

As the smoke cleared, several of the students gasped. In the center of the blast, there stood a young man, wearing a white and red hooded sweater, standing there with a confused look on his face; well the visible part of his face, as his eyes and hair was hidden underneath the hood. He wore 2 strange bracers on his two arms; each with a strange emblem that looked like a stylized "A". He also had some strange leather case sticking out of his belt, and there was something inside it.

The students burst into laughter "Ha! Louise the Zero summoned a commoner!" one laughed.

"The strongest familiar my ass!" another jeered.

Louise blushed "It was only a mistake!" she turned to Colbert "Mr. Colbert, please let me do the ritual again!"

Colbert shook his head "I cannot allow that, Miss Valliere, it is a sacred ritual that must be followed."

"But-" Louise tried to protest.

"Please finish the ritual, Miss Valliere." Colbert sternly ordered.

Louise pouted "Fine!" she approached Saito, but he backed away from her. She approached him again, but he backed away. "Get over here!" she yelled.

Saito blinked 'Are these guys speaking French?' he started to speak "Excuse me, but what are you doing?" he asked in French.

"I'm finishing the ritual, now hold still!" she yelled.

"Um, I don't have any idea what you're talking about, so no."

Louise grabbed him "Get over here!"

Saito quickly breaks free of her grip and started running away.

Louise blinked, and then started chasing after him. "You get back here you stupid familiar!"

'Where the hell is this place?' Saito thought as he kept running. "Excuse me!" he yelled as he jumped over one of the maids that were in his way. He kept running until he went in a full circle around the building. He stopped in front of the students "Wait, wasn't I here before?"

As he thought, Louise tackled him into the ground "Hold still so I can finish the ritual." And with that, she gave him a brief kiss on the lips.

Saito quickly got up "What the hell is going on? Why did you kiss me?" before he could ask any more questions, he felt a burning sensation growing in his left hand.

"Don't worry; it's just the runes getting transcribed into your skin." Louise explained.

As the runes were finished transcribing onto his skin, Saito slowly stood up. Colbert approached him" Do you mind if I see your runes?" Louise nodded as Colbert copied down the runes onto a piece of paper.

Afterwards, Saito stood up, emotions of anger, confusion, and annoyance filling his mind. Before he can think of anything else, Louise dragged him by the ear back to her room.

* * *

><p><strong>Later<strong>

"Was it really necessary to tie me up?" Saito asked, tied up in rope.

"I had no choice, you might run away again!" Louise yelled "Who are you anyway?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing?" he asked, though he wasn't paying attention as he was cutting the rope with his hidden blade "Where am I anyway?"

"Fine," Louise introduced herself "I am Louise Francoise le Blanc de la Valliere. And you are in the Tristain Magical Academy. You were summoned to be a familiar."

"A familiar, what is that?" Saito questioned, but he was more occupied with freeing himself.

"A familiar is the loyal and personal servant and bodyguard of a noble such as myself." She declared.

"So I have to serve you and do anything you ask?" Saito inquired, not liking the job description already.

"Of course!" Louise proudly declare

"Do you need someone killed?" Saito asked.

"Well actually…" Louise thought about Kirche, but shook her head "No! Why would you say that?"

"Is there any corrupt officials that need to be, um taken care of?" He asked, almost free from the rope.

"NO! Of course not!" she screamed

"Well then, I'm of no use to you then," he cut himself free from the ropes with his hidden blade "By the way, my name is Saito Hiraga, and I'm out of here!" and with that, he dived out the window.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback<strong>

"In the days of old, assassins dived off a high structure as a means of escape." An assassin teacher told Saito "it used to be part of an assassin initiation. This move is called the **Leap of Faith**."

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback End<strong>

Saito dived out of the window, and landed safely onto a pile of leaves.

Louise just stared, then screamed "get back here, you dog!" she stormed out of the room and down the stairs.

* * *

><p><strong>Back with Saito<strong>

Saito emerged from the pile of leaves, completely unscathed. "Wow, I can't believe that worked!" Now all that he needed to do was figure out where he was and how he could get to the nearest assassin hideout. He looked at the sky "Okay, there's the North Star, There's the moon, there's Andromeda, there's the other moon…" He paled "Wait a sec, that can't be right," he looked at the sky again; there were two moons. "Okay, this either that girl drugged me or I am in another world." As he pondered, he overheard a conversation from a couple that was standing on another.

"I must try your soufflé sometime Katie," A male voice said, a hint of seduction in his voice.

"Of course Lord Guiche," A girl's voice –Whom Saito guessed was Katie- giggled.

'Oh please,' Saito sweatdropped. He immediately thought that this Guiche person wants something out of her, though he needed some proof to prove his theory.

He quickly scaled the walls and got in through an open window. He quickly jumped onto the chandelier and climbed on top of it. The two looked up, and saw the chandelier swinging.

They thought that it was nothing and continued their conversation "Well, I have to go now, ta-ta Katie." And with that, Guiche left the hall as Saito followed him. As Guiche started to walk upstairs, Louise ran towards him and grabbed him.

"My familiar, have you seen it?" She growled.

"N… no…" Guiche stammered. Louise let him go and stormed off.

'I should avoid her; she seems really mad now.' Saito thought quietly to himself before jumping off the chandelier.

As Saito tailed Guiche, he saw him flirt with a blond girl with two torpedo-like pigtails. Saito approached the couple "Excuse me,"

The two looked at him "You're the commoner that Louise the Zero summoned." Guiche exclaimed "You know that she has been looking for you."

Saito nodded "I know, I know. I just wanted to ask you two a few questions; nothing more, nothing less."

Guiche shifted his position into a mature one "Very well commoner; but why?"

"Just out of curiosity," Saito took out a notepad "Who is the blond girl you are talking to right now."

The girl introduced herself "I am Montmorency Margarita la Fere de Montmorency."

Saito wrote down her name "What is your relationship with each other?"

Montmorency gave a justified response "We are boyfriend and girlfriend." Guiche responded by trying to wrap his arm around her, but she ducked right before he could make contact.

Saito raised a brow "Do you two get along often?"

"Why yes, of course." Guiche said proudly.

"Then who is the person making you a soufflé?" he asks with a smirk.

Guiche flinched, and then started diverting eye contact with him "What… what? I have no idea what you're talking about commoner."

Montmorency raised an eyebrow "What is the commoner talking about?"

Guiche started to stammer "He must be joking."

Saito finishes writing his notes "Yes, just a joke," he snickered "thank you for giving me your time." He put the notepad in his pocket. "I should be going now," He said as he walked upstairs, but not without quickly swiping a stack of letters from Guiche's pocket.

As he placed the stack of letters in his pocket, Louise came running up the stairs "There you are!" she yells, her wand drawn. Guiche and Montmorency ducked as Louise quickly cast a spell.

Saito did not understand why they ducked, and looked at Louise as he cast her spell. He did not know why, but something in his gut told him that he should duck. As Louise finished chanting he immediately ducked.

_*BOOM*_

Saito looked behind him; the wall behind him was completely obliterated. 'Holy shit!' he thought before breaking into a run, with Louise following shortly.

"Get back here, you stupid familiar!" she screamed before casting another spell at him.

_*BOOM*_

Saito kept running and running until he stopped as a busty redhead and some other guy were sitting on the steps, making lovey-dovey motions with each other.

'Oh, for crying out loud,' Saito thought before Louise finally caught up to him.

"There you are," She snarled "What the hell are you running for?"

"Why are you following me?" he asked, much to the annoyance of Louise.

"You're my familiar, you're supposed to stand by my side; not jump out the window like a psychopath!"she yelled.

"I do not believe in hurting or enslaving people." Saito said, starting to get annoyed.

"That does not matter to you; a familiar has no right or free will of his own." She screamed.

"Every living thing has a free will of its own." Saito gave off an air of intimidation "open your eyes; that arrogance you carry shall get you killed."

Both stayed silent, not sure what to say. The redhead and the other guy, who were standing there the entire time, started to speak "What's wrong Zero? Can't control your familiar?" the redhead laughed.

"Shut up Zerbst!" Louise shifted her attention to the redhead "I was just getting it to go to sleep." She aimed her wand at Saito and cast a spell.

_*BOOM*_

"S… son of a…" Saito fell down to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

><p><strong>Character Bio<strong>

**Name: Saito K. Hiraga**

**Age: Born December 9, 1995 (16 as of early 2012) in ****Osaka, Japan**

**Political affiliations: Assassin Order**

**Rank: _Assassin Fifth Rank _(rank 14)**

**Personality: An Assassin through bloodline and by choice, the Order means everything to him. He always acts according to the Order, although this usually causes him quite a lot of trouble. He also is known to have an independent streak, which sometimes makes it hard for him to follow orders. Despite his aloof and supercilious behavior, he is quite easy to talk to and is known to have a refined sense of humor.**

**Hobbies: reading old scriptures, using old weapons.**

**Special talents: Assassination, investigation, free-running, close quarters combat, playing the piano, fluency in several languages **

**Likes: Assassins, children, Kevlar, dogs, antiques**

**Dislikes: Abstergo industries, Templars, playing the piano in front of people, people who try to hurt others, knockoff antiques  
><span>**

**Notes: He is very old fashioned compared to other assassins his age, to the point he has actual experience using the hidden blade. It was his elder sister who oversaw his training, placing an emphasis on melee combat and reconnaissance due to Japan's gun control laws severely hampering the likelihood of his usage of firearms, though his knowledge of firearm usage is satisfactory. He has a tendency to befriend those in society's underground for some reason. **He is the only "minor" back in his cell in Osaka, and despite having finished his training, is still treated as a child by the rest of the Japanese Assassins.****

**Weapons: Hidden blades, Heckler and Koch USP**

**Hidden blade: An iconic weapon of the Assassins. It is rarely used in the modern times, but Saito treasures the ceremonial hidden blade that he was given, and always puts it to good use. He asked another assassin to make him a modernized version of the hidden blade, as having only one threw off his balance. He wraps them and bandages and passes them off as splints when he's not wearing bracers**

**Heckler and Koch USP: or **_**universal self-loading pistol**_** is a high-quality German handgun that was designed so that it could be modified in several different ways. Saito uses the Suppressed (SD) model, modified to take 9x19mm Parabellum rounds and attached a silencer so it would be suited for stealth. Having this kind of gun is illegal in Italy; he must have smuggled it in when he entered the country.**

**Equipment: Kevlar hoodie, Old and modern Bracers, notepad, Assassin notebook.**

**Kevlar hoodie: A new, high grade Kevlar fashioned into a white and red hooded zip-up sweater. The Kevlar used to make this article of clothing is a relatively new development in military technology: reducing the impact of most high-velocity bullets to nothing more than a strong shove while being as flexible as fabric. It's generally assumed that the European Underground managed to get a hold of some of it, with Saito trading for some in exchange for some secrets on some of Abstergo's more dubious deeds. Saito (somehow) stores most of his equipment in its pockets or underneath it whenever he isn't in combat.  
><strong>

**Health: ********

**Resistance: ******** (unbreakable)**

**Old and Modern Bracers: the two bracers that came with Saito's hidden blades. Though mismatched, Saito really doesn't care about fashion so long as they protect his arms during melee combat. The old one is made of leather plated with steel, and can be adjusted with a drawstring. The modern one is made of Kevlar, and could be adjusted with Velcro straps. Both sport the assassin insignia on them. Whenever he takes them off, which is usually when he is in a civilian persona, he usually hides his hidden blades with splints and bandages.**

**Health: ****

**Resistance: ******** (unbreakable)**

**Notepad: a regular notepad that Saito uses to take down investigation notes. He often archives his notes in his journal after an investigation.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: well, I guess the first chapter for this project is done. Please review! Also, I will reflect on Saito's history much later in the story, so stay tuned.**


	2. Adjustment

**Assassin in the void**

**By psychored1911**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's creed or Familiar of Zero **

**Chapter 2: Adjustment**

* * *

><p><strong>The next morning<strong>

Saito woke up the next day and noticed something was on his neck. "What the heck?" he looked at it; his neck was chained to the wall. "What the hell?" he tugged at the chain, but it wouldn't budge. Quickly, he pulled out his USP and shot the chain, breaking it from the wall.

_*fwip*_

The chain broke, with Louise not even stirring in her sleep, which was surprising. Even when suppressed, guns are still more than audible.

But that was not important at the moment, he needed to figure out what was going on 'Seriously, this chick is crazy,' he thought as he put away his USP. As he saw that Louise was still asleep, he took the opportunity to do an inventory check.

He took off his hidden blades; an old but fully functional one he got from his initiation ceremony into The Order and a modern one that he asked an instructor in The Order to make for him.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback<strong>

Saito quietly stalked a high-ranking employee in Abstergo as he walked into a narrow alleyway.

The employee noticed him "Hey, who are you?" and pulled out a Sig Sauer P226R. Before he could pull the trigger, Saito stabbed him in the chest with the hidden blade.

"_Yasurakani nemure_ (Rest in peace)." Saito closed his eyes before setting the body gently onto the ground.

As Saito laid the employee to rest, he was approached by another assassin "Seriously dude, you still use that old thing? Get with the times." He joked

Saito stared at the other assassin "Cole, it does not matter how I eliminate the target; so long I follow the creed. Besides, what is the point of obtaining a hidden blade if you are not going to use it?"

"Dude, you should stop reading those old books and go back to reality." Cole said, pulling out a Skorpion vz. 61 submachine gun.

"You should also put a suppressor on that thing." Saito sweatdropped.

"Oh please, what's the worst thing that could-" Cole was interrupted as he accidentally pulled the trigger.

_*RATATATATATATATATATATATATATA T!*_

"Hey, what was that?" A nearby police officer heard the gun fire.

"And that is why I prefer using my hidden blade over guns," Saito said as he quickly scaled the walls.

"Hey, help me up, I can't scale walls!" Cole called out to him.

"Are you serious?" Saito quickly climbed down to the nearest fire escape and kicked the ladder down. Saito quickly climbed up the building as he watched Cole climb up the fire escape.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback End<strong>

'"Stick with the times", yeah Cole, tell me that when you don't get demoted for blowing an ally's cover.' Saito sweatdropped as he put his hidden blades back on his arms.

Saito then checked his USP; there were 14 rounds left in the magazine. He checked the holster and his pockets; along with the two spare clips he had, he also had two boxes of 9mm rounds, each with 50 rounds each as well as the rounds that he stole from the guards, which were twelve rounds. In total, he had 156 rounds. 'Oh well, I don't use this pistol much anyway…' he thought as he put away the ammunition.

As he picked up his pistol up, however, he noticed the runes on his arm were glowing. He dropped the pistol, and the runes stopped glowing. 'Strange,' he activated one of his hidden blades, and the runes started glowing again. As he retracted the hidden blade, the runes stopped glowing again 'I must be going crazy; with all the stuff that's happened, I guess…' Saito thought as he put his pistol and hidden blades away.

He continued checking his pockets and found his wallet full of Euros (If he's really in another world, these are useless), the Abstergo keycard from the other day (probably useless here too), a notepad, and a notebook that contained every Assassin teaching and experience he ever had.

He quickly put his stuff away and opened the window "Well, if I'm going to stay here, I might as well know this location…" he said as he climbed out the window.

* * *

><p><strong>A few hours later<strong>

Kirche knocked on the door "Louise…"

"Go away Zerbst…" Louise moaned, still half asleep.

"No, your Familiar is on the roof." Kirche told her.

Louise sat up immediately "My Familiar is where?" she looked at the chain she placed on Saito when he was asleep; it was broken. "That dog…" she quickly got dressed and charged out the room, with Kirche following shortly.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, back with Saito<strong>

Saito stood at the top of the dorm room, enjoying the view. He noticed that there were 6 main buildings; one in the center, and the other 5 forming a pentagon around it. 'It must be of religious importance…' he thought before surveying the area again.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback<strong>

"Whenever an assassin of old was lost or unfamiliar with an area," An assassin teacher told Saito "They would climb up the highest tower or a viewpoint and survey the area. Getting down, you must perform the leap of faith."

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback End<strong>

"YOU DOG!" a voice yelled. "Get down here!"

Saito looked down. It was Louise, yelling at him. Saito looked down "What do you want?"

"Get down from there!" she yelled.

Saito shrugged and performed a leap of faith; falling gracefully before landing in a nearby pile of leaves.

"Well, your Familiar is quite the acrobat," Kirche winked at Saito.

Saito ignored the wink and faced Louise "What do you want?"

"What were you doing up there?" she screamed.

"All I was doing was surveying the area; nothing more, nothing less."

Louise grumbled "Fine! Just follow me!" she stormed off, with Saito shortly following.

* * *

><p><strong>Later at the dining hall<strong>

Saito just stared at his "So-Called" meal. It was nothing more than a piece of stale bread and some thin soup. "I heard Abstergo prisons fed people better, but that's because they wanted them to stay alive long enough for them to do experiments on people," Saito thought out loud. He quickly ate the bread and the soup. Bored, he decided to sit next to Louise.

"You can't sit there," she said blankly.

Saito blinked "Beg pardon?"

"Only nobles can sit here, and you're only a Familiar- Hey don't sit down!" she saw Saito sit down on the chair next to him. "Only nobles are allowed to sit down there!"

"In my eyes, everyone is a human," Saito said blankly.

Louise fumed "Why you stupid dog!" she proceeded to smack him with her hand, only for him to catch her hand mid-swing.

"…" Saito just glared silently, before releasing his grip. He stood up and silently walked to the door.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, in Old Osmond's office<strong>

"Old Osmond sir!" Colbert barged into Old Osmond's office "I have important news to-" he stopped mid-sentence, and saw Osmond's secretary Longueville stomping on Old Osmond's back "Did I come at a bad time?"

"Oh no," Longueville helped up Old Osmond "He said he had a back ache, so I was helping him out." She said as she left the room, intentionally avoiding Colbert's gaze.

"Okay," Old Osmond got back on his chair "What was so important that you needed to tell me?"

Colbert presented a book and flipped it to a certain page "I think that Miss Valliere's familiar is a Gandalfr! The runes on her familiar are exactly the same as the Gandalfr!"

"Gandalfr?" Old Osmond inquired…

* * *

><p><strong>A few minutes later<strong>

"…" Saito was beyond annoyed with this world. Since he got here, he was chased down, bound and gagged, blown up, bound and gagged AGAIN, and overall got treated like a slave. And in her eyes, he isn't even human. She did not even acknowledge his free will; a trait that EVERY assassin values and strives to protect; whether it's their own or someone else's. And then there's this world's nobility system; people with magic have all the power. So what happens to everyone that doesn't? Are they enslaved? Are they forced to do the work of these spoiled brats?

As he stood there, deep in thought, a voice approached him "Excuse me…" Saito turned around; a girl in a maid outfit smiled "Are you okay?"

"… Have we met before" Saito asked, thinking he saw her before.

The maid giggled "You jumped over me when you were running from Miss Valliere."

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback<strong>

"Excuse me!" Saito jumped over the maid's shoulder and continued running.

The maid stared at him "That was strange…" As she wondered what was going on, Louise charged past her, trying to catch her 'familiar'.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback end<strong>

"Oh right, I remember that." Saito muttered as presented his hand "My name is Saito Hiraga. Nice to meet you."

Siesta blinked "My name is Siesta, nice to meet you." She shook his hand

Saito noticed a cart of sweets behind Siesta "Do you need help with anything? I'm kinda bored out of my mind right about now."

"Well I do need help distributing these desserts…" Siesta looked at the dessert cart.

"Great, let's get to it." he said as he took the cart and started pushing it, with Siesta following suit.

* * *

><p><strong>A bit later<strong>

Saito and Siesta distributed the cakes to waiting nobles. When they reached Guiche and Montmorency's table however, Saito stopped them "Hold on…" Saito looked over his shoulder, and saw Katie, who was looking for Guiche, "I got this," he walked over to Katie and told her where Guiche was sitting.

Katie smiled happily before going over to Guiche's table, where they started having an argument.

"Who is this?" Montmorency yelled in outrage.

"Are you cheating on me?" Katie started to tear up.

"Ladies, I can explain…" Guiche nervously backed away.

"No, allow me," Saito emerged from the growing crowd. "When I first encountered you two, I heard Guiche here praise Katie. Just by the sound of your voice, I could tell that you were using her." Saito saw Guiche pale "I also know that you already have a girlfriend; Montmorency already admit that to me." Guiche paled even more "Though I do not have definite proof, until I found this!" Saito took out the stack of letters, making Guiche redefine the color white "This stack of love letters show that you have been dating those two at the same time. Admit it Blondie, you were two-timing."

He set the love letters on the table for Katie and Montmorency to read. Both of the girls looked at Guiche, anger and betrayal in their eyes.

Guiche backed up nervously "Wait, this isn't what it looks like…"

"You liar!" They both smacked him in the face, sending him to the ground, before running away, crying.

"You just got burned Guiche!" One of his friends said as the crowd started to laugh uncontrollably.

As Guiche lay there, he saw Saito smirk before disappearing into the crowd.

* * *

><p><strong>A bit later<strong>

"Here's your cake," Saito delivered a cake to Louise.

Louise was crossed "Where were you?" she asked, a hint of anger in her voice.

"It is none of your concern," Saito said blankly.

Before the conversation turned into a full-blown argument, a voice called out "You there!" It was Guiche, followed by a large group. "What do they have to say for yourself?"

Louise looked behind her "Who is he talking to?" Saito and Siesta also turned around, wondering what Louise was looking at.

"I'm talking to you; white hooded commoner!" Guiche pointed at Saito "You made two young ladies cry! What do you have to say for yourself?"

"If the need arises, I would kill their parents before their very eyes and still could care less." Saito said blankly, his bold statement startling everyone within earshot "Besides, I didn't make them cry, you did."

Everyone started to laugh, much to Guiche's embarrassment "Well then, for the honor of the two girls, I challenge you to a d- you're not paying attention, are you?"

Saito was not paying attention to Guiche at all, and was fixed onto a dining hall window.

"Pay attention commoner!" Guiche yelled, getting Saito's attention. "I challenge you to a duel,"

"No thanks, I'm good…" he said as got closer to the dining hall window. "I don't like listening to pathetic two timers like you."

"How dare you!" Guiche yelled "Stand and fight me!"

"No," Saito peered into the window and paled. Fortunately, everyone on the outside has yet to realize what was going on inside.

"Why not?" Guiche began losing his cool, his voice now akin to a whining child than a noble "Why won't you fight me?"

"One: it's funny seeing you whine like a baby. Two: Everyone's looking at you. Three: It's funny watching you get embarrassed." He said as he climbed to the top of the dining wall roof and jumped down the chimney.

Louise and Guiche walked over to the window "What is wrong with him?" Guiche asked as he and Louise walked over to the Dining Room window, wondering what he was looking at.

"If I knew what was wrong with him, I'd-" as Louise peered into the window, she paled at the scene just beyond the wall.

Inside the dining hall were people dressed in rugged naval uniforms bearing a strange insignia; were holding everyone –Student or servant- hostage.

* * *

><p><strong>Inside the dining hall<strong>

The terrorists started laughing, watching the hostages squirm in fear. "These brats are so easy to scare, huh boss?" a terrorist holding a flintlock pistol sneered.

The head terrorist, Menvil, sighed "Why did they send a triangle fire mage like me to do such an easy job?" he groaned. He had been hoping for a job that would allow him to massacre and spread fear into the populace. Capturing everyone within a Magic Academy's dining hall and using them as leverage is not what he had in mind. Oh well, at least it paid well.

The other terrorists, not noticing their leader's disappointment, shrugged as they continued scaring the hell out of the hostages.

Saito, who was hiding in the fireplace, analyzed each and every one of the terrorists 'There are about 15 or 16 of them, but they don't look very strong; these guys actually took everyone here hostage?' he wondered as he glanced at the head terrorist 'That guy looks like the leader, so he's my target.' He activated one of his hidden blades, the runes growing brightly. He quickly emerged from the fireplace and jumped onto one of the tables and started sprinting towards the boss. The other terrorists only watched as Saito pounced on the boss, hidden blade drawn.

_*SHTLINK!*_

Saito drove the hidden blade into the chest of the boss, and slowly put his body onto the ground.

"Why did you do what you did?" Saito asked the dying boss.

"Why should I tell you?" he said as he started to cough up blood.

"Because your god might forgive you if you do." He replied, halfheartedly appealing to the criminal's good will.

"Don't give me that crap, fine I'll tell you." The boss, aggravated at Saito's plea to his decayed conscience, muttered as he coughed up more blood. "W… we were trying to hold these brats for ransom, so the Capital would give us money to fuel the civil war in Albion." the boss started coughing out a lot of blood.

"Who do you serve?" Saito sternly asked.

"R… Re… con… quista…" the boss died in Saito's arms.

Saito stared at the corpse "Using hostages will get you no negotiation; only death." He closed the boss' eyes "_Yasurakani nemure _(Rest in peace)." He gently put the corpse on the ground.

The other bandits shake off the surprise and start to attack Saito. Saito quickly kicked up the cutlass that the boss dropped and twirled it intricately before calmly taking a combative stance.

"He killed the boss, get him!" at that moment about twelve bandits started to lunge at him with spears.

'Hmph, fools,' Saito thought as he held his ground.

He quickly took three kitchen knives and threw them at three of the terrorists. One hit right between the eyes, another directly in the heart and the last one impaled one of the terrorist's crotch.

"Son of a bitch! You prick! Ow, right in the balls! Aw, come on, you hit my friends in the head and in the heart but you couldn't of hit me in a place a bit more decent? You can kill me all you want but you do not screw with a man's manhood!" as he cursed in pain, Saito threw another knife at his head to shut him up.

The rest of the bandits drew out their swords slowly surrounded him. The bandits looked nervous.

"There's no way that he can kill all of us if we surround him." One said.

'Hmph, easy.' Saito smirked underneath his hood.

The first terrorist lunged at him with his sword. Saito smacked the sword out of his hands and then stabbed him in the heart with his own.

"Son of a bitch!" Another slashed at him. Before it could connect, Saito sidestepped and slashed his neck.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, directly outside the dining hall<strong>

The students watched Saito kill more and more of the terrorists from one of the windows.

"Holy shit…" One of the students covered her eyes, horrified at the bloodshed.

"Mommy..." Another student turned away with disgust.

"…" Tabitha put her book away and watched Saito with great interest.

Guiche stared at the slaughter from outside 'If he did accept my challenge…' he thought in horror what might have happened to him if Saito accepted the duel.

Louise looked on; trying very hard not to puke 'That is my familiar?' she winced as she saw Saito kill another terrorist that was behind him 'If a familiar reflects the master, what does that make me?'

* * *

><p><strong>Back with Saito<strong>

One by one, Saito continued killing the terrorists until there was only one remaining. The last terrorist aimed his flintlock at him "Don't come any closer!" The terrified terrorist warned hastily pulled the trigger.

_*BANG!*_

The bullet shot Saito in the shoulder, pushing him several inches back from the terrorist, but it otherwise did nothing to him. There was not even a bullet hole in his clothing.

The terrorist dropped the flintlock, shivering in fear "N… no way, that's not possible…"

'Gotta love Kevlar,' Saito thought as he charged at him, his sword ready.

The terrorist dropped to the ground "No, please don't kill-"

_*SHTLINK!*_

Saito drove his sword into the terrorist's heart, all the way to the hilt. Saito quickly pulled out the cutlass and closed the corpse's eyes "_Yasurakani nemure _(Rest in peace)."

Saito walked over to the hostages and cut them free before walking out the door.

As he walked outside, he walked over to Guiche, who was among the many students who watched the slaughter of the bandits. "Now, you were saying, two-timer? Do you still want to fight?" he said, the blood stained cutlass still in his right hand.

Guiche stepped back, a look of sheer terror on his face "N... no, I'm fine, actually," he turned to Katie and Montmorency, who also saw the slaughter "In fact, I was thinking of apologizing to the two girls, with you as the witness." He hastily got on the ground and started kneeling begging the two girls for forgiveness.

Saito smirked "That is the smartest decision you have made all day." He cleaned the cutlass with a rag he found on a nearby table before putting it on his belt. He slowly walked away, leaving everyone who was watching the slaughter in shock.

Kirche, who was among the students, asked Louise "Louise, did you summon the angel of death?"

"I don't know," Louise watched, but strengthened her resolve "But I'm going to find out."

* * *

><p><strong>In Old Osmond's office<strong>

Colbert and Old Osmond stared at the crystal ball, then at each other, then at the crystal ball again.

"W… what just happened?" Colbert stared at the crystal ball.

"Did the Gandalfr just _kill_ all of those terrorists?" Old Osmond could not believe that such a young man was capable of killing, much less with nearly inhumane brutality.

'Anyways, we should report this; a Gandalfr in the modern world!" Colbert exclaimed.

"No, we shouldn't! After seeing all of that brutality, the court would just use him as an excuse to start wars!" Old Osmond yelled at him "Besides, we should tell them about the incident. Reconquista tried to take our students hostage. We should be happy that the young man took care of them before that group did something to our students!"

"But what do we tell the students' parents? They will surely tell their parents of their experience." Colbert had a look of sheer panic on his face.

"We don't need to tell them anything, they will not believe their own youth." Old Osmond looked at Colbert "What we must report to the court is the incident with Reconquista; but we should hide the Gandalfr's presence. We should say that the guard saved them."

"Agreed." The two looked out to the window, wondering what would happen next.

* * *

><p><strong>Later that day<strong>

"Excuse me, uh…" Louise tried to get Saito's attention.

"Saito," Saito was looking over his notebook, his eyes not diverting from it "My name is Saito,"

"Saito," Louise corrected herself "What exactly are you? I mean, what kind of person were you before I summoned you?"

Saito closed his notebook "Why exactly do you want to know?"

"I saw you kill all of those terrorists, you had more skill than the royal knights, "she walked closer to him"I'm going to ask you again, where did you come from?"

Saito thought about her question for a moment.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback<strong>

"Of the three tenants of the creed, the third one is probably the most important of all," An assassin instructor told Saito "Never compromise the brotherhood. If you ever get captured, you must never do anything to endanger the lives or security of anyone in the brotherhood; do not reveal any of the order's secrets." The teacher turned back to Saito "However, if the need arises, you can recruit a person into the order, but you must ensure their loyalty and/or make sure they are the enemies of our enemies."

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback End<strong>

Saito glanced at Louise, his expression unreadable under his hood "Should I have any trust for you?"

"What?" Louise looked at him "What do you mean by that?"

"I don't know if I can trust you." Saito looked at her.

Louise looked at him with disappointment "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that unless I can trust you, I won't tell you a thing, nor will I listen to you," and with that, he slowly fell asleep.

As Louise saw him fall asleep, she noticed his notebook in his pocket. She slowly reached for his notebook, but Saito's hand stopped her "Don't even think about it."

* * *

><p><strong>Inventory check:<strong>

**Saito's journal: a notebook that contains every teaching and experience Saito ever had. Besides notes, it contains an Assassin history book, several books made by famous assassins, multiple blueprints as well as a diary section. In short, anything and everything that Saito has ever noticed or observed since obtaining this book is archived in here. It contains very valuable information, so Saito must make sure no one gets their hand on it. Very few people know of its actual contents besides Saito.**

* * *

><p><strong>Weapons unlocked! <strong>

**Albionese cutlass: a type of sabre-like sword used by the navy in Albion. Though usually used as a decoration, this sword is made for combat (or as a tool to cut rope and canvas, take your pick). This used to belong to a Reconquista mercenary, but Saito took it as a spoil of battle.**

**Attack: ***

**Speed: *****

**Deflect: ****

**Kitchen knife: It's a formal cutlery knife. Due to being made to carve cooked meat instead of raw flesh, not to mention its poor ergonomics, these would normally make a poor throwing implement. The only reason it worked as well as it did was because Saito's proficiency with knives. It is too fragile for him to consider it as a permanent melee weapon. Not to mention that he might upset some of the staff, but that's another thing.**

**On hand: 0/5**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: well, this chapter is done, so please review! Also, be sure to check my profile for a poll that will decide what weapons Saito will obtain.**


	3. The thieves' guild

**Assassin in the Void**

**By psychored1911**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Assassin's creed or Familiar of Zero**

**Chapter 3: The Thieves' Guild**

**A/N: rest in peace is now changed to "**_**gomeifuku wo inorimasu" **_**(well, it was close enough)**_**. **_**It shall be changed to this from now on. Also, I'm using Google translate for the translations, so don't blame me if something sounds wrong.**

* * *

><p><strong>The next day, i<strong>**n the classroom**

Louise quickly wrote down her notes for class, though her heart wasn't really into studying at the moment. What she was really thinking of was that notebook that Saito was carrying. 'What's in that notebook that is so important? It's like he's trying to hide something.' As she continued to think, another student in her class approached her "C… could you pass this on to your familiar?" the student presented a gift basket and placed it on Louise's desk before walking away.

"Huh?" she watched as several other students placed gift baskets on her desk "What's all this for?"

"It's a thank you present for your familiar, he saved more than half of the students in this classroom, and many others," Kirche explained, a bit jealous at the attention that Louise was getting. Ever since Saito saved everyone in the dining hall, many people started seeing Louise in a new light. Sure, some people still call her Louise the Zero, but now, they really don't want to annoy her familiar.

Louise looked around "Where did he go anyway?" Saito wasn't in the classroom. She hoped that it wasn't going to get itself in trouble.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, in Old Osmond's office<strong>

Saito opened the door "Excuse me," he called out "are you the one in charge of this place?"

Old Osmond looked back in surprise "How did you get in here? This area is supposed to be heavily guarded!"

"…" Saito thought about it for a moment.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback<strong>

Saito peered over at the corner "There are only three guards guarding the area. I don't need to kill them; I just need to get past them. He looked around, and saw a stick lying by the wall "perfect," Saito took the stick and quickly hid it behind his back. He slowly approached the guards "Excuse me," he got the guards' attention "I need your help with something. Can you three come over here for a second?"

_*WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!*_

The guards fell to the floor, unconscious. Saito tossed the stick to the side "It almost frightens me on how terrible this school's security is. Where is an easy button when I need it?"

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback End<strong>

"That is of no importance," Saito quickly changed the subject "But can you tell me why you did not exert at least the same amount of security when those terrorists came in and took everyone hostage?"

Old Osmond flinched; how could he explain why there were no guards present when the terrorists were there? "Well… I uh…"

"Well, what's the excuse?" Saito sternly asked. Old Osmond did not see Saito's eyes under his hood, but he was sure that he was glaring at him.

"Um, how do I put this in a way you'll understand…?" Old Osmond sweatdropped "Umm… because of certain… renovations, that we had to do to the school, we had to let some of our guards go. I never imagined that terrorists would actually take the school hostage." he did not tell the young man that his own master caused most of the damage; he didn't know how it would react if he knew.

Saito stared in disbelief "Is that some sort of joke? Because I'm not laughing!" He grabbed Old Osmond by the collar, but let go after a few seconds "You know what, it's just not worth it." Saito opened the window and stood on the windowsill. He looked at Old Osmond once more "If the teachers fail to even try to protect the students they teach, then what is the point of a school?" and with that, Saito dived out the window and landed in a pile of leaves.

Saito emerged from the pile of leaves "All right, guess that's been taken care of." After a few minutes, he realized something; he was bored. There was no Kenichi Mochizuki or any other Master Assassin to issue him orders or missions. Shrugging to himself, he walked over to the dining kitchen, hoping if there is anything to do there.

* * *

><p><strong>A few minutes later<strong>

"Hey," Saito opened the door to the kitchen "Is there anyone here-"

"IT'S OUR SHIELD!" The staff yelled out in joy. Several of them pulled him to a table and made him sit down.

Saito blinked in surprise "What?"

"It's a thank you present from the staff," Siesta emerged from the staff "You saved several of the people you see here today."

"That's right 'Our Shield'," The head chef, Marteau, placed a huge bowl of stew in front of Saito "Eat up! You deserve it!"

Saito took a step back "Really it's nothing. It's not like I do that stuff every day," He lied; he has done rescue missions and even harder missions on a daily basis back on Earth.

"Hah, skilled and modest!" Marteau laughed heartily "Now that's how 'Our Shield' rolls!" Marteau moved the bowl of stew towards Saito "Eat up! You deserve it!"

Saito pushed the bowl back "No really, it's nothing."

"Nonsense, just eat up!" with a little urging from the staff, Saito reluctantly started to eat the stew.

"Hmm… not bad," Saito took a bite out of it. It was one of the best cooking he had ever tasted. 'Weird, I feel like I am forgetting about something…' he thought as he started eating.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile<strong>

Louise struggled to carry the gift baskets to her room "Why the hell were there so many people in the dining hall that day?" she muttered to herself. As she finally got to her room, she set down the gift baskets and hastily opened the door to her room.

She looked inside 'well, he's not here either,' she thought to himself. She started thinking to herself 'Why did he save them?' He could have just left them alone, or worse; he could have just joined the terrorists and killed everyone. 'He could have killed me. But why didn't he?' Louise knew that she couldn't control her own familiar, and with all of his skills, it could have killed her right then and there. She wondered why he stayed without a fight.

_*kyaa...*_

As she started thinking, she overheard something that sounded like screaming "Huh, what was that?" she thought as she walked over to where the sound was coming from.

* * *

><p><strong>Back with Saito<strong>

"All right, thanks," Saito said as he left the kitchen. He didn't exactly get a job, but he was allowed to eat there whenever he liked. He looked at the dorm building; Louise's room was about 9 or 10 floors off the ground. He shrugged to himself as he started climbing up the walls and into Louise's dorm room.

As he looked inside the dorm, Louise wasn't inside, but he can tell that she was there recently; the door was wide open, and there was a large pile of gift baskets that were never there before. Ignoring the gift baskets, he looked outside Louise's room and saw Louise, who was pressing her ear against one of the room doors. "What are you doing?" he asked her.

Louise flinched as she turned towards Saito "W… what are you talking about?"

Saito shook his head "Look, if you really want to eavesdrop, you have to be more discreet about it," he said as he planted his feet away from the door and pressed his ear against the door "did you ever try-"

Saito paled as he overheard what was going on in the room. Instinctively, he activated his hidden blades and kicked down the door.

_*CRASH!*_

"What the hell is going on here?" Saito yelled. What he feared was going on before his very eyes; in the room, from the looks of it, there was some struggle between a female 1st year student and a male 3rd year student. And judging from the ripped clothing on the 1st year, Saito immediately guessed it was an attempted rape. An attempted one, and as long as Saito was there, it will never be completed. "Get off her!" Saito yelled as he pushed the would-be rapist off the student.

"You stupid commoner!" angered, the rapist pulled out his wand and started chanting. Out of instinct, Saito lunged at him, hidden blades drawn.

_*BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!*_

The rapist fell down to the floor, unconscious. Saito stared at his hidden blades 'that wasn't supposed to happen,' He intended to kill the rapist, not subdue him.

_*BZZZZZZZZZ…*_

'What the hell?' Saito looked at his modern hidden blade; instead of a blade, two metal prongs ejected where the hidden blade was, and it was emitting… electricity?

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback<strong>

Saito quietly approached an assassin, who was working diligently on some sort of project "Hey Nina, are you done with it yet?" he asked.

"Hold on, I'm almost done." Nina yelled as she kept tinkering with her project. After a few minutes, she slammed her arms on her desk "And it's done!" she explained as she presented Saito her project; a modern hidden blade "Here's the hidden blade you asked for."

"_Arigatou _(Thank you)," Saito said as he took the hidden blade and placed it on his arm.

"It's my personal masterpiece!" Nina declared proudly "It can take any upgrade you could think of, as well as a built-in Taser I personally call, _the shock blade_."

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback end<strong>

'Right, it's called the shock blade' Saito said as he retracted the shock blade 'I wonder why I stopped using it?'

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback<strong>

Saito took off his modern hidden blade and looked at it 'Something doesn't seem right.' He thought as he examined it carefully.

_*Is something the matter Saito-san?* _a voice called over by the radio.

"It's nothing Takakura-san," Saito said as he picked up his radio, though his focus was on the hidden blade "though I think that the hidden blade Nina made jammed-" before he could say anything else, the hidden blade immediately unjammed as the shock blade immediately activated, tasing him.

_*BZZZZZZZZZZZT!*_

"… N… never mind…" Saito said as he slowly fell unconscious.

_*Saito? Come in! Saito!* _Takakura called out to him _*Ah, Mochizuki-baba is gonna get real mad at us for this. Hold on, I'm coming.*_

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback end<strong>

'Oh right, now I remember,' Saito sweatdropped. He turned to Louise, who was trying to console the would-be rape victim. He walked over to them "Calm down, it's going to be alright."

"He didn't do anything to you, did he?" Louise asked concern in her voice. Saito looked at her, somewhat surprised that she actually had a good side to her.

Before she could speak, the guards stormed in "What happened in here?" one of the guards yelled, unaware they were too late.

Though obscured under his hood, a look of disbelief formed on Saito's face "Do you people realize how bad you are at your jobs?" he said, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "You know what, just take him away." He watched as the guards took the rapist away.

He then turned to Louise "I'll see what I can find out about what happened, you go back to the room." He watched as Louise walked out of the room.

* * *

><p><strong>A few hours later<strong>

Saito walked back into the room "Don't worry about the victim; she is going to be a little traumatized, but other than that, she'll be fine."

Louise approached him "How did you know what to do? You acted like you've done that before."

"I don't need to tell you anything," Saito said blankly.

Louise started to get annoyed "Why won't you tell me anything?" she yelled.

"I have no trust for you," Saito said as he put his cutlass by the wall and sat down on the floor.

Louise stood up, now getting very annoyed "Why the hell won't you tell me anything?"

"Why can't you get it through your head that I can't trust you?" Saito said, annoyance present in his voice.

Their argument started escalating further and further until it woke up practically everyone in the dorm.

* * *

><p><strong>The next day<strong>

After a few 'suggestions' (threats) from the students, Saito and Louise were sent to the capital to 'bond' (Get out of their hair so they could catch up on their sleep).

"Grr… I hate this." Louise grumbled. She can't believe she has to 'bond' with her familiar. And for what? It is probably not going to tell her anything; it's probably going to do something downright bizarre and embarrass her again. "What, you're not going to comment?" She turned around, and found Saito was not behind her. "Where the hell did it go?"

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile<strong>

Saito stood on top of a nearby church tower, quickly scanning and surveying the area. 'I guess this is somewhere between the downtown and uptown area, considering all of the stores and houses.' He watched in amusement as saw Louise darting around in confusion 'I should probably go back to her, she looks panicked.' With that thought, he quickly leapt off the tower and into a nearby pile of leaves.

Saito emerged from the pile of leaves. "Okay, now, where did she go?" he started walking down the road "I don't know how it is possible to lose someone with pink hair." He muttered as he kept searching for her.

* * *

><p><strong>A few minutes later<strong>

Saito finally found her sitting on a bench "There you are."

Louise looked at him impatiently "Where were you?" she asked.

"Why should you care?" Saito asked, somewhat bored.

Louise growled, definitely not in the mood for any of this "Whatever, just follow me!" she said as she started walking away, with Saito following shortly.

He followed her down a narrow alleyway. "Where exactly are you going?" he asked her.

"We're going to get you a new sword," she replied.

Saito blinked "Why, isn't that cutlass I have enough?"

"Umm... that sword should be a trophy!" Louise exclaimed "besides, it seems to be too flimsy to be a real weapon!"

Saito rolled his eyes, though it was hidden under his hood "Whatever you say, master…" he said sarcastically.

Eventually they made it to a shady-looking weapons store. As they walked in, they were greeted by a crafty-looking salesman "Oh welcome!" the salesman greeted. 'We're an honest business here, not observed as the authorities or anything!" he hastily added, immediately arousing Saito's suspicion.

"We're here to buy a sword!" Louise declared, unaware of the money signs forming on the salesman's face.

"Ah yes, I have something you might like, please give me a moment…" the salesman walked into the back and came back a few minutes later with a golden sword "This is one of our finest swords, it can cut through steel like- hey, you're not listening are you?"

He looked at Saito, who was staring intently at a painting. "What a weird painting…" Saito muttered

"Pay attention!" he yelled, getting Saito's attention "This sword is made by the famous Germanian alchemist Lord Shupei; it can cut through steel like butter!"

Saito, not really interested in the dumb sword, looked at the painting again with interest "How much do you want for that painting?"

The salesman blinked "You want that old painting, take it! I never liked it anyway." He shooed Saito off.

"Much obliged," Saito took the painting off the wall, and started to examine it with expert precision "It is a crudely-made oil-based painting of a black lake, possibly made over forty or fifty years ago." He quickly turned the painting around, "but thinly veiled underneath the painting, there is an official document," he ripped off the back of the painting, revealing an official looking deed "and that document is the deed to this establishment itself!" He declared, much to the shock of both Louise and the salesman "From now on, this store belongs to me!"

The salesman's jaw dropped. He just sold, no, gave away the deed to his establishment "How did you know where the deed was? I searched this place dozens of times over and have never found it after my father died!"

"That's right! The outline and several of the text was clearly visible through the painting! I'm only surprised you never noticed it after all this time." Saito pulled out his notebook and tucked the deed inside "Now, there are going to be some changes around here!" he starts walking around the building "First of all, I want you to stop selling that phony sword to everyone who enters." Proving his theory, he took the golden sword and banged it against the counter, watching as the tip broke off the blade and bounce harmlessly against his hoodie. He then took a rusty falchion from one of the weapon racks "And also, clean the weapons once in a while, this one is already rusting!"

"Yeah, you tell him!" a voice agreed. "This guy is a very useless salesman, you should fire him!"

Saito looked around "who said that?"

"I did!" Everyone's focus turned towards the rusty falchion "I am the legendary sword Derflinger!" the sword introduced itself.

"Well, my name's Saito Hiraga," Saito introduced himself.

"The sword can talk!" Louise exclaimed.

"That sword always disrupts business!" the salesman grumbled "You should get rid of him, not me!"

Saito let out an air of intimidation "Considering that you were selling total crap, and that Derf here is telling people of your crap, his job is far more secure than yours!" he said as he attached Derflinger to his belt.

"Yeah you tell him!" Derflinger agreed. "This guy started to sell it to many people, including children!"

Saito looked at Derf "I think I'm starting to like you!" he then turned to the salesman "And if you want to keep your job, make sure you abide by the rules!" and with that, he and Louise left the building.

Louise stared at him, dumbfounded "How did you know that the deed was there?"

"Well…" Saito thought about it silently. "Let's just say I have an eye for detail, nothing more, nothing less."

As he was talking, a pickpocket ran over to them and swiped Louise's wallet before sprinting away.

"Ah, my wallet!" Louise exclaimed.

"He's not going to get away. Just head back to the academy." Saito said as he started chasing after him.

He chased him into an alleyway, where he watched him climb up one of the buildings 'Well, he can free-run too? I must admit, his technique is good,' Saito quickly climbed up the building and continued chasing after him 'but I'm better!'

Saito quickly followed him across the rooftops, waiting for him to falter. Saito watched as the pickpocket stumbled 'perfect,' in a quick, fluent motion, Saito grabbed the pickpocket by the arm and threw him on the rooftop "I'm not going to hurt you, but I need that wallet back." He sternly said.

_*Clap, clap, clap…*_

Saito turned around; two teens approached him, clapping. From the looks of it, they were fraternal twins; one boy and one girl. They both wore rugged green shirts and black shorts, supplemented with light armor. Both also had knives, probably likely baselards, hanging from their belts. Both had messy black hair and gray-blue eyes, though the girl had a noticeably large bust. Strangely enough, they sort of remind Saito of that maid who works at the academy. What was her name again? Fiesta? Siento? It will come to him eventually.

"Not bad," The boy said as he tossed the wallet back to Saito.

"You managed to keep up with one of our fastest runners," The girl said as she dismissed the pickpocket.

Saito pocketed the wallet before facing them "So, anyways, who are you guys?" he asked them.

"Oh, where are our manners?" The boy started to introduce himself "My name is Oliver."

"And I am his twin sister, Olivia." The girl introduced herself.

"Well, people call me Saito." Saito stared at them "So, what do you two weirdoes want with me?"

"We want you to join the thieves' guild!" Olivia said, excitement in her eyes.

Saito rolled his eyes "I'm listening…" he said as he jumped off the rooftop, with Oliver and Olivia followed suit.

"You had one of the best free-running skills I had ever seen," Oliver said. "It was better than most of our members."

"Don't worry about your conscience," Olivia added "We believe in justice; we only steal from corrupt nobility. It should be us, the lower class, who should be the heroes instead of these so-called nobles."

Saito let out a quiet chuckle, taking note on how blatantly poor their acting skills are "I am starting to like you guys already,"

"Heh, people always say that about us," Oliver commented "So, what do you say? Are you going to join?"

_*Sob, sob, sob…"_

Before Saito could answer, he heard a faint crying "Hold that thought," he said as he ran over to the sound of the crying, with Oliver and Olivia following shortly.

Saito followed the sound, which led to a young man, sobbing as he lay on the floor. Saito got down on one knee "Why are you crying, sir?"

My fiancé, she was taken by Count Mott." The young man wailed "Now she's about as good as dead!"

Saito blinked "I do not understand; please clarify."

Olivia whispered into his ear "When a young woman is taken to work for a noble, well, they are used as his mistresses. She couldn't do anything because commoners must bow to the whims of the nobles."

Saito thought for a second." Hold on; you will see her within 2 days. I promise." He then got up and turned to the twin thieves' guild leaders "Okay, I will join you, but only on one condition."

* * *

><p><strong>A bit later<strong>

Saito followed Oliver and Olivia into a building. He looked around "This is just some run-down hotel."

"Ah, but do you see the workers?" Oliver motioned to the employees, who all waved "They are all members of the thieves' guild."

Olivia walked over to one of the whispered to one of the members of the thieves. He nodded and walked away. A few minutes later, he came back with a small stack of papers. "This is all the information that we have on Count Mott."

"Ari- I mean, thanks," Saito said as he looked over the notes, 'well; now I know that people here write in French.' He rolled his eyes as he continued reading 'let's see, this Count Mott person took a lot of women before, for over twenty years. He is also suspected for shipping money to some place called Albion, but there has been no proof. The courts refused to arrest or even reprimand him.' Saito's anger grew 'this man is not going to get away with his crimes.'

Saito handed the papers back to Olivia "Call your best thieves, his death shall free all those he wronged."

* * *

><p><strong>A few hours later<strong>

Saito slowly walked towards Count Mott's mansion.

A guard captain approached him "Hey!" the guard yelled "no trespassers! Turn back now-" before he could say anything else, Saito dashed and stabbed him with the shock blade.

_*BZZZZZZZZT!*_

The guard captain fell down to the ground, smoking and smelling like burnt skin. Saito felt his pulse. 'Nothing,' He retracted the shock blade 'I guess Nina never thought that I would fight guards with metal armor. Oh well.' Saito thought as he dragged the guard away.

* * *

><p><strong>A few minutes later<strong>

A guard captain approached the guards at the side of the mansion "You guys go take a vacation, I will handle this area."

The other guards shook their heads "No can do captain, we were specifically told by you to guard this area."

The guard captain rolled his eyes "Fine, I won't be the one getting fired by the Count for disobeying the labor laws."

The other guards blinked "What are labor laws? We don't know what you're talking about."

"This is ridiculous." The guard captain immediately removed his armor, revealing a white and red hooded figure. Before the guards can react, Saito stabbed them with his hidden blades.

"You guys should have left when I gave you the chance," Saito laid their bodies to the ground and closed their eyes "_Yasurakani nemure _(Rest in peace)." After he hid the bodies, he stood up and let out a whistle.

_*TWEET!*_

Within seconds, Oliver, Olivia, and several other thieves emerged from bushes and approached him.

"Saito, you go and end the Count's life," Oliver ordered "Olivia and I will distract the guards. The rest of you steal whatever you can."

"Yes sir!" The thieves saluted as they entered the building. Saito silently nodded as he entered through one of the windows.

* * *

><p><strong>Inside the mansion<strong>

Saito looked around, the mansion looked very well made; marble floorings, brilliant paintings and ancient antiques 'just about what you'd expect from someone with the noble title,' he thought as climbed up the archways 'now, where's the Count?'

"Hey, you!" Saito turned around, and three guards, each armored and wielding spears, approached him "You're not supposed to be here!"

'Ah, crap,' Saito drew Derf out of his sheath and took a combat stance "Well, you're ready to die already?"

"Die bastard!" One of the guards lunged at him with his spear. Before it could connect, Saito ducked underneath and stabbed him in the gut.

One of the guards flinched "The Count doesn't pay us enough for this!"

"I agree!" the other guard panicked "Let's get out of here!" and with that, the two guards ran away.

Saito stared at them as he put Derflinger away "Tch, _Okubyōmono _(cowards)." He looked at the dead guard; he had what looked like a dagger and a broken Wheelock pistol on his person. Shrugging to himself, Saito took them and attached them to his belt. 'Guess I better hurry,' Saito thought as he ran off.

The thieves' guild were pretty good at their jobs; everywhere he went, Saito saw them either stealing something, fighting one of the guards or evacuating one of the civilians. 'Heh, I guess I know where the term 'honor amongst thieves' was coined,' he chuckled to himself.

"You there! White hooded commoner!" a high and haughty voice yelled. Saito turned around; what looked like a haughty old man wearing ridiculous renaissance-like clothing pointed a staff at him. "You must be the one who orchestrated the destruction of my home."

Though his face was completely obscured, Saito was definitely glaring "This is your house? Then that means you must be Count Mott."

"That is right, you stupid commoner!" Count Mott growled "You and your comrades shall pay dearly."

"Oh, and you can get away scot-free for kidnapping women and making them your mistresses?" Saito sneered.

"But of course; it is my God-given right as a noble," Count Mott arrogantly announced.

"Well," Saito drew Derflinger, his runes starting to glow "It is time for your corruption to come to an end."

Any thief, guard or servant got out of the way as the Count and Saito slowly backed up, step by step.

Count Mott waved his staff as water from nearby vases pooled and turned into frozen icicles. Two of them missed terribly, but the third one launched straight towards Saito's face. Before it could connect, Saito sidestepped as the icicle barely missed his head and shattered immediately on the floor behind him.

"What are you waiting for? Can you not fight?" Saito taunted, eyeing a crossbow mounted on the wall.

The Count fumed "You arrogant commoner!" several more icicles formed, all trained at Saito.

'Hmph, predictable,' Saito cartwheeled out of the way and into a wall. Without faltering, Saito removed the crossbow from the mount and immediately fired a bolt at the Count's left hand.

_*ZZZZZZZT!*_

"AAAAAAAAH!" Count Mott screamed as the bolt lodged itself in his arm, forcing him to drop his staff in pain.

But Saito wasn't done. Immediately after the bolt lodged itself in the Count's arm, Saito dropped it and threw Derflinger at the Count. He watched as Derflinger pierced through his right leg.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The count howled inhumanely as he collapsed, excruciating pain growing in body. He watched as Saito slowly walked towards him "Y… You'll never get away with this! I work for the courts!" The Count cursed.

"You still say I'm the one who's going to be punished?" Saito asked, no emotion present in this voice "With all the actions I have done in _this_ world, and of all the actions you have done, I am the one who merits salvation."

"I am a noble, I deserve to win!" The Count cried as Saito removed Derflinger from his pitiful body.

"No, you deserve to die." Saito activated his hidden blades and gave him the _Coup de grace_ _(mercy blow)_.

_*SHTLINK!*_

"If it weren't for people like you, then there would be no need for me to even wield my blade." Saito said as he closed the Count's eyes "_Yasurakani nemure _(Rest in peace).

Before Saito left, he picked up a wallet and a letter that the count dropped. He nonchalantly pocketed the wallet and started reading the letter's contents 'hmm, let's see…' Saito read the letter, somewhat surprised at the contents 'shipment of over 100,000 new gold and assorted weaponry to the rebel forces Reconquista in Albion. I place the shipment in your care; send it to Albion in two weeks' time to avoid suspicion. Signed by Tristain finance minister lord Richmon?' it was a letter, proving an embezzlement conspiracy from one man named lord Richmon. Saito chuckled to himself 'I guess I found out my new target.' He said as he pulled out his notebook and tucked the letter inside.

Saito stood up and looked around; everyone who watched the battle was speechless. Never did a commoner who challenged a noble come out victorious, especially without even being scratched. "I am going to count to three; after I count to three, every guard who wants to run away must drop their weapons and flee right now. One-" immediately after he started counting down, every guard within earshot dropped their weapons and fled for their lives.

Saito chuckled "They might be bad at their jobs, but they're really good at running away," he said as he picked up the crossbow he dropped a few minutes ago.

_*Clap, clap, clap.*_

Saito turned around; the twin thieves' guild leaders approached him "Beautiful, just beautiful," Olivia clapped.

"Yeah, but," Oliver looked at the crossbow "Are you sure that you don't want to clean that?"

Saito gave a confused look, though completely obscured under his hood "I don't understand what you are talking about."

"Well," Olivia started to ramble "Since that crossbow was used by Count Mott, and his hands have probably been-"

"Oh gross!" Saito nearly dropped the crossbow in disgust.

Oliver and Olivia started laughing "Nah just kidding, that looks more like a hunting variant, so he probably used gloves, well, probably." Oliver told him, not exactly assuring him.

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot," Olivia handed him a seal. The seal somewhat looked like a small green fox in a green pentagon "This is the seal of the thieves' guild; it shows you are one of us."

Saito took the seal and wore it on his shoulder "Much obliged," He looked around; either thieves were helping servants evacuate or were stealing something from the walls "I guess my work is done here." He quickly climbed up one of the windows and stood on the windowsill "See you guys later, oh and search for a supply shipment that is supposed to be sent to some group called Reconquista." And with that, he leapt out the window.

* * *

><p><strong>Several hours later<strong>

Saito made it back to the academy after a few hours of searching. As he entered, he saw a poster on the wall "Familiar exhibition presentation, in one week's time. Guest judge is Princess Henrietta? It's probably some irrelevant event." Saito thought as he walked away from the poster.

* * *

><p><strong>A few minutes later<strong>

As Saito made it to Louise's room, he saw Louise snoring on the table. He looked in amusement 'I guess she waited for me. How adorable- What the hell am I thinking?" he shook his head violently.

After a few seconds of reorganizing his psyche, he picked up Louise's sleeping body and laid her on the bed "Sweet dreams."

* * *

><p><strong>Items obtained!<strong>

**Thieves' Guild seal: a seal that proves you are a member of the thieves' guild. Saito obtained this after helping the thieves infiltrate and sack Count Mott's mansion. Fellow members will help Saito out in times of distress and vice versa.**

**Tristain Arms dealer Deed: the deed to the weapons store in Tristainia. Saito obtained it after conning the owner into selling it to him. Maybe under new management, it shall start to thrive.**

**Embezzlement conspiracy letter: a letter that proves an embezzlement scheme between Lord Richmon, Count Mott, and Reconquista. Because of their crimes from stealing directly from the capital, their days are now numbered; Count Mott was merely the first, and only warning.**

**Broken Wheelock pistol: as the name suggests, it is a broken Wheelock pistol. It is rather small; it looks like it can be concealed in the arm. Maybe with a few adjustments…**

* * *

><p><strong>Weapons unlocked!<strong>

**Shock blade: A Taser that has been built-in the modern hidden blade. It is a non-lethal alternative to the hidden blade, used for capture and/or interrogation. Unfortunately, it was never meant to be used on guards with ****metal ****armor. Using it on so will hurt. A lot. It is solar powered, so there is no need to recharge. Saito had this weapon all along, but he stopped using it, either to avoid getting shocked again or because he simply forgot.**

**Derflinger: A sentient falchion that seems to have been rusting for a very long time. Though rusted, he surprisingly is very comfortable in Saito's hands. It seems like the effects of Magic can be nullified whenever Saito is holding him. He is very talkative, so he tends to annoy the people around him; namely Saito and the shopkeeper. He can be used as either a heavy weapon or as a one-handed sword.**

**Attack: ** (+1)**

**Speed: **** (+1)**

**Deflect: **** (+2)**

**Tristainian Dagger: a straight edge dagger that are usually issued to guards in Tristain. It only seems to be used in close proximity where a sword or spear would be inconvenient. It's more of a self-defense weapon than anything else. Saito stole this from a dead guard.**

**Attack: ***

**Speed: ****

**Deflect: ***

**Crossbow: a pistol crossbow used primarily for hunting. It is unknown why it was loaded before it was mounted on the wall. Considering that it was used by Count Mott, it is optimal to clean, sterilize (or possibly even exorcise) before using.**

**Bolts remaining: 9/10**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, that's it for this chapter. In all honesty, I saw the shock blade in the Assassin's creed Wiki. It's obviously not the last hidden blade upgrade he is going to get. Please review!**


	4. Familiar exhibition presentation

**Assassin in the Void**

**By psychored1911**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Assassin's Creed or Familiar of Zero.**

**Chapter 4: Familiar exhibition presentation**

* * *

><p><strong>Louise's Room, very early in the morning<strong>

Saito sat down on Louise's desk, quietly tinkering with the broken Wheelock pistol. 'Let's see here…' Saito thought to himself as he read a blueprint from his notebook. Funny thing, he had a natural talent on understanding mechanics. He didn't know why, but it was pretty useful for hidden blade maintenance 'If my hunch is correct, then the problem is the jammed trigger mechanism, probably due to poor maintenance.' Saito thought as he quickly pulled out a piece of a small broken lead ball, which most likely jammed the firearm. He rotated the dog (spring loaded arm which ignites the Wheelock) back and pulled the trigger.

_*Click*_

Saito smiled, it wasn't loaded, but it worked. He quickly worked on the Wheelock pistol, slowly transforming it into a weapon designed by the assassins of old themselves.

* * *

><p><strong>A few hours later<strong>

Louise woke up; she was waiting for her familiar the whole time last night. Turning around, she saw Saito, who was attaching some strange mechanism to his leather bracer.

"What are you doing? Where were you last night?" she asked him.

Saito reattached his bracer on his left hand. He pulled out Louise's wallet from his pocket "Here's your wallet back." He placed the wallet on the desk.

Louise folded her arms; though she was relieved that her wallet was back, he still did not answer her question. "That does not explain where you were last night."

Saito pulled out his crossbow and started cleaning it "You shouldn't worry about that, it' pretty irrelevant." He looked at the clock on the wall "You're going to be late for class."

Louise paled. Her eyes darted to the clock, class was going to start in ten minutes "Oh no, I'm going to be late!" she quickly got dressed in her uniform and ran out the door.

Saito shook his head as he put away his crossbow. "Wasn't that what I just said?" He said to himself as he leapt out the window.

* * *

><p><strong>Ten minutes later<strong>

Louise ran into her classroom, barely making it on time. "Ha… Ha…" she panted "Barely made it."

"Well, you took your sweet time," Louise looked up; Saito was sitting on her desk. Though his face was obscured, she was sure he was smirking.

"H… how the hell did you get here before me?" Louise pointed at Saito, a look of anger and exhaustion plastered on her face.

Saito shrugged "I took the express way down." He said calmly.

Louise gave a dumbfounded look "How did you- you know what never mind," She muttered as she took her seat. She knew that he probably leapt down from the top of the dorm room, again.

After ten minutes of the class, Colbert entered the classroom, wearing a wig and a strange classroom that sort of reminded Saito of a strange version of William Shakespeare.

"Hello class," Colbert bowed down, not noticing that the wig fell off his head. "As you may know-"

Tabitha looked up from her book and stared at Colbert's bald head "Shiny." She said in a monotone.

The whole class started laughing. Saito just looked around, rolling his eyes. He usually shows respects his elders, no matter how embarrassing they act.

The laughing continued until Colbert's face turned red in anger and embarrassment. Saito, guessing the outburst went too far, activated his hidden gun. He quickly aimed his left arm skyward and pulled the trigger.

_*BANG!*_

The class immediately became silent as they all turned their attention to Saito. "For teenagers, you lack respect towards authority. Listen to what your teacher has to say. If you laugh now, none shall take you seriously in the future." He ordered as he sat down.

"Thank you, Miss Valliere's familiar," Colbert thanked Saito. He turned to the rest of the class "As you may know, the familiar exhibition presentation is going to occur in less than a week," He noticed the class' growing anticipation "Also, Princess Henrietta is visiting the academy as a guest judge, so everyone, please be on your best behavior." And with that, he left the room.

* * *

><p><strong>After class, in Louise's room<strong>

Louise paced back and forth in her room, a look of worry on her face. "Oh founder, what do I do?" she scratched her head in confusion "I totally forgot about the presentation, I don't want to embarrass myself in front of everyone…" she turned to Saito, who was reading his notebook intently "You must do something that will strike awe to everyone who watches during the presentation!" She declared, pointing her finger at him.

Saito closed his notebook and tucked it in his pocket "There's only one way I know how to do that, but I don't like shedding blood needlessly." He stood up and crossed his arms, an obscure look of boredom on his face.

"I don't want you to kill someone on stage!" Louise yelled "Don't you have any other talents?"

Saito shrugged "every human being has talents that they are proud of."

Louise fumed "You did not answer my question! Again!"

Saito rolled his eyes "Whatever," he approached the door. "I am not some stupid entertainer to appease you brats." He said as he closed the door behind him.

_*Ka-chunk*_

Louise stood there, a look of both annoyance and anger forming on her face. From what it looked like, her own _familiar_ refused to even participate in the familiar exhibition presentation. She slammed the door open "You are going to-" she stopped. She looked around, Saito wasn't anywhere; he wasn't in the hallway or walking down the staircase. He just, _vanished_. "How does he keep doing that?" Louise screamed.

* * *

><p><strong>Back with Saito<strong>

"_Yare yare_ (Good grief)." Saito muttered to himself as he walked around the courtyard.

"Something the matter, partner?" Derflinger popped up from his sheath. Honestly, he had little idea what Saito had just said, but judging from this tone, he did not seem happy.

"…" Saito did not answer.

"Come on, just tell me!" Derflinger urged him.

"If she honestly wants me to be some stupid entertainer, I refuse to cooperate with her." Saito told him. Sure, he had a lot of acrobatic ability, but he wasn't some person who would start dancing on cue. He was an assassin, and the fact that she expected him to impress people for the sake of her own pride was an insult. The only reason he would truly perform if it was needed for an infiltration and the likelihood for something like that was very slim.

As he was thinking, he accidentally knocked into someone. "Oh, sorry,"

No, it's okay," a feminine voice said. Saito looked up, it was Siesta. She was wearing a set of normal commoners clothing instead of her usual maid outfit. She looked like she was carrying two cases of luggage with her.

"Oh, hey there," Saito looked at the luggage "Are you going on sort of trip?"

"Actually, I was coming back from somewhere else." Siesta told him "Didn't you notice?"

Saito shrugged "I wasn't even in the building here yesterday; I didn't know what happened here." He told her.

"Well, to tell the truth," Siesta started to tell her story "I was employed to work at the mansion of a court noble yesterday,"

"Sounds fascinating," Saito said sarcastically.

"But the funny thing is," Siesta paused for dramatic effect "By the time I made it to the mansion, the noble was apparently killed before I got there."

Saito blinked "Who exactly hired you?" he asked.

"I was hired by a man named Count Mott," Siesta told him. A look of disgust formed on her face when she said that name. There were a lot of bad rumors about him; she's glad he is dead. In fact, she only took the job because of the higher pay.

"..." Saito stared at her, an obscured look of surprise on his face.

"Hey partner, wasn't he the guy you k-" Derflinger came out of his sheath, but Saito shoved him back in.

Saito turned to Siesta "So, because he died, you were sent back here." He deducted correctly.

Siesta nodded "Of course, the only good thing about the whole trip was that I saw my two cousins when I got there." Her cousins were generally very nice, but they were very mysterious and enigmatic; she doesn't really know them that well.

Saito rolled his eyes, slowly losing interest in the conversation. "Okay, well I'll be seeing you later," he said as he walked away.

* * *

><p><strong>A bit later, in the Thieves' guild building<strong>

Saito walked in the thieves' guild building. He looked around "Where is everybody?" his eyes wandered around until he spotted a poster on the wall. He quietly read the poster "Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt; Missing in Action for three years."

"You want to know who that is, don't you?" Saito turned around; Oliver and Olivia showed up behind him "That is Fouquet, the crumbling dirt." Olivia told him "She was one of the only mages that actually entered the thieves' guild."

"She was one of our best thieves; her earth magic was vital for several of our heists." Oliver added.

Saito looked at the poster, then back at the twins "What happened to her? She sounded like an important part of the guild."

Oliver and Olivia pulled out a few chairs and offered one to Saito. Olivia started "It was a dark, autumn night…"

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback<strong>

Oliver and Olivia quietly infiltrated the mansion of a local noble in Tristain. This noble was a tax collector who forced commoners to pay him more than they were supposed to. Well, now, they were going to take it back.

"This is going to be easy!" Olivia smirked in excitement.

"Don't get cocky; remember that we're here to take the noble's treasure." Oliver reminded her. He looked out; Fouquet was chanting a short incantation, most likely to summon her golem. "Let's hurry; Fouquet is going to get our escape route ready in a few minutes." And with that, they quickly ran off to their objective.

* * *

><p><strong>A bit later<strong>

Eventually, they made it to the noble's treasure room. Surprisingly, the majority of the building was unguarded. Perhaps they were somewhere else.

"You were saying, brother?" Olivia snickered.

Oliver rolled his eyes "Okay, I guess you were right," he said as he opened the door.

The room was filled to the ceiling with gold, chests, treasures, and all sorts of artifacts. Most of the items in this room were taken wrongfully from the commoners. Stealing it all back is going to be fun.

"Jackpot!" The twin thieves said in unison, an unusual gleam in their eyes. They quickly pulled out burlap sacks and started filling them with all sorts of loot. Eventually, their bags of loot were full and they were ready to escape.

Olivia looked out the window; Fouquet's golem was surrounded by countless amounts of guards. They guards tried in vain to stop her, but they might as well have been standing still; they were effortlessly knocked away by the golem.

"That explains where the guards were," Olivia sweatdropped as she set off a signal, telling Fouquet to retrieve them.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, with Fouquet<strong>

Fouquet saw the signal as her golem knocked away more and more guards. She motioned her golem to point at an area on the mansion "I'm going to break through that wall over there; get out of that area now!"

* * *

><p><strong>Back with the twins<strong>

"What did she say?" Oliver asked, unaware that he was in Fouquet's line of fire.

Olivia paled, knowing her twin brother was in danger. In a panic, she called out to him "Oliver, get out of-"

_*CRASH!*_

But it was too late; Fouquet's golem punched right through the wall, and unfortunately where Oliver was. Olivia looked in horror; Oliver's body looked battered, eyes closed and bleeding from several places, giving it a dead appearance. In truth, the impact merely left him unconscious, but the bruising and the bleeding would make others think otherwise, at first glance anyways.

Fouquet walked off her golem's arm "Hey, are you guys ready to-" she saw the seemingly dead body of one of her bosses. She stared at the body in shock before turning towards her other boss. Olivia was crying seemingly endless amount of tears, fearing for the death of her brother.

After a seemingly endless silence, Fouquet spoke up "W… what have I done?" She mumbled as she hastily got on her golem and fled.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback end<strong>

"… In all honesty, all she did was give me a concussion and several broken bones, but otherwise I was fine." Oliver concluded.

Saito stared at them with disbelief "So you're telling me that she caused an accident that nearly killed you, and you're okay with that?"

They both shrugged "Sure, it wasn't like she meant to hurt him." Olivia told him "Though I did hear that she's been spotted robbing nobles, and apparently her stealth and discretion has gotten better."

Oliver looked at his twin "Really? She must have gotten better!" he exclaimed.

Saito stood up as he put the chair away "If you guys don't need me, then I have to go." He said as he slowly walked towards the door.

Oliver and Olivia stood up to stop him "Actually, we need you to go after her," Olivia told him.

"Also, if that does not work," Oliver added, handing him a letter "This is a letter, asking her to come back. Give this to her if your situation gets desperate."

Saito reluctantly took the letter and gave them a brief nod "You guys can count on me." He said as he walked away.

* * *

><p><strong>Another few hours later, back at the academy<strong>

Saito looked around inside one of the storage buildings. He never exactly got to see what was inside some of the buildings, and the stuff he found inside was incredible. Earlier, he saw a weird mirror that apparently gives off a reflection of a false version of the person in front of it. When Saito stood in front of it, it gave off an almost exact mirror image of him, with a few exceptions: It was wearing a blue and white hoodie instead of a white and red one, it held no weapons apart from Derflinger, and it had a happy-go-lucky smile on its face, obscured by its hood. It looked like it was blissfully unaware of any evils around it. Saito let out a small chuckle; civilian life wouldn't be like him.

Saito kept looking around until he stopped; a person with a lantern was slowly approaching his position. Acting quickly, he quickly climbed up one of the walls and onto some of the framework. He looked down; it was Old Osmond's secretary, Longueville. 'What is she doing here?' Saito thought as he quietly followed her from above.

He quietly followed her until she reached a large, locked door. He watched in amusement as she complained about the lock being made by a square mage.

"Hey, who's there?" A voice asked. Saito turned around; it was one of the teachers, Colbert. Thankfully, he didn't notice Saito above him and instead focused on Longueville "What are you doing here?"

Longueville turned around in surprise "Oh, I was, uh, about to check the inventory on the vault." She replied.

Colbert shook his head "The inventory in that vault is large; it's probably going to take you all day." He then looked at the door to the vault "The door and the lock are also made by square class mages. It is practically incapable of being broken into, even by triangle mages."

"Oh, that's too bad," Longueville said in a disappointed tone, which Saito immediately took note of. "Does this vault have any weaknesses?" she asked Colbert, arousing Saito's suspicion even more.

"Well," Colbert scratched his head "The vault is vulnerable to brute force. The power of a golem should be enough to destroy it, from the outside of course."

"Oh really?" Longueville smirked, not going unnoticed by Saito. She walked away from the vault, with Colbert following shortly.

After they had left, Saito dropped down from the framework and approached the vault door. He quietly examined the lock 'Hmm, the lock does look like it is made by an extremely hard material. I doubt that my USP could break it, even at point blank range.' Saito examined the lock more closely 'however, the locking mechanism is fairly simple; I could possibly pick it with my hidden blade.' He activated his hidden blade and placed it in the lock. After a few seconds of tampering, the lock immediately released and fell to the ground.

'Hmph, easy.' Saito thought before he walked inside the vault. He looked around; the entire room was filled to the brim with all sorts of magical items and artifacts. Considering that whoever made the vault specifically made it mage-proof, Saito decided he shouldn't touch anything that looks important. He looked around until something caught his eye.

In one corner of the room, there laid a staff. The staff resembled something akin to a scepter, but it looked damaged; the headpiece, which looked like it was supposed to hold something spherical, was slightly chipped on the edge. Besides that, it was emitting an eerie glow. Somehow, it seemed to be calling out to him.

Out of curiosity, Saito briefly touched it. Instinctively, he drew back his hand in surprise. The staff definitely looked metallic, but it was soft to the touch, almost like touching human flesh. _Living_ human flesh. It felt alive. Before he could even comprehend what had just happened, several voices, almost like recordings, filled his head.

_"Always the fighter,"_

_"Adam, I have it,"_

_"Just like your father,"_

_"Eve,"_

_"Are you a descendant?"_

As these voices filled his head, several humanoid shapes started to fill the room. To add to Saito's confusion, they started to take Saito's appearance. Panicking, Saito tapped the staff once more. Immediately, the voices died down and the eerie copies disappeared. His initial panic over, Saito collapsed on the floor, confused. "_Nani _(what)?" He said to himself. He stood up and looked at where the staff once was; it had just, _vanished_. 'Yep, I'm hallucinating again,' he muttered to himself as he left the vault, wondering what had just happened.

* * *

><p><strong>A few days later, outside the Academy<strong>

A majority of the students waited in anticipation for the princess to arrive. They were all excited for the princess to arrive.

Meanwhile, in the royal carriage, Princess Henrietta let out a sigh. The other passenger, Cardinal Mazarin, gave a concerned look. "What troubles your mind your majesty? It has been the thirteenth time you had sighed."

"There is nothing wrong," Henrietta lied. She did not want to strike up a conversation with the Cardinal. From experience, she knows that Cardinal Mazarin is going to talk about politics or rumors running around Tristain again.

"Have you heard; just a few days ago, a group of commoners broke into the mansion of Count Mott."

"Let me guess," Henrietta rolled her eyes. She never liked Count Mott. "The Count killed them all and almost caused an uprising amongst the other commoners."

The Cardinal shook his head. "No, quite the opposite actually. It seems that one of them, a white hooded commoner to be exact, he, how do you say, _assassinated_ him."

The princess' eyes widened. "He was actually killed? I knew it was going to happen sooner or later, but still!"

The Cardinal sighed "You should not say things like that, your majesty."

"Oh really," Henrietta's eyes let out a noticeable glint "You are a Cardinal, so you would support higher morality, yet when someone performs justice, you think to punish him?"

"But… your majesty, please understand," The Cardinal pleaded "It's not that I am against the white-hooded commoner-"

"Well, maybe this "white-hooded commoner" is nothing more than an angel in disguise, trying to end the crimes of this country's corrupt." Henrietta said as she stepped out of the carriage.

The students cheered as she came out of the carriage. She let out a gentle smile as she eventually made it to the main school building. As she walked towards the building, she swore that she saw a white silhouette on the roof, watching her.

"What brings you to this humble academy?" Old Osmond inquired, shifting the princess' attention towards him.

"Oh, no reason," Henrietta replied as several servants prepared the guest quarters for the princess. She looked up at the roof; the white silhouette had vanished "Odd…"

* * *

><p><strong>A few hours later<strong>

Saito wandered the dorm building. For the past few days, Louise kept insisting on making him perform for the presentation; which usually ends in Saito refusing and a fight breaking out between them. She always kept whining that he would humiliate her if he didn't, but he still did not comply. Now that it was the eve of the presentation, Louise was getting more and more desperate to make him perform, even going as far as forbidding him from eating if he does not perform.

Shaking off the events of the week, Saito walked back to Louise's room. As he entered, he noticed there was a hooded figure in Louise's room. This figure wore a hood, so the person could not be identified, but judging from a slender hand holding a wand, Saito guessed the hooded figure was a female mage. Fortunately, the figure's back was turned from him. Quietly drawing his dagger and his USP, he stealthily approached the hooded figure. In a quick and fluid motion, Saito stomped on the figure's calves, forcing her to her knees. Before the figure could comprehend what had just happened, Saito swatted the wand away with his USP and placed the edge of his dagger at her neck.

"Don't move." Saito growled, letting out an aura of intimidation.

Suddenly, Louise entered the room. She stared at the scene in front of her. "What's going on?" She yelled in outrage.

The hooded figure looked up "Louise Francoise, is that you?"

Louise paled "Princess Henrietta?" She turned to Saito "Release her immediately." She ordered him.

Saito reluctantly released his grip as he put away his weapons. The hooded figure removed her hood, revealing a head of violet hair. "It has been a while, old friend."

Louise bowed "Your majesty, it's an honor to be in your presence."

"Oh, don't say that, Louise," The princess replied "After all; we're childhood friends," she rubbed her injured calf "Though I think that your lover injured me."

Louise blushed "That thing is not my- Wait, he _injured _you?"

Saito shrugged "Hey, she shouldn't have come in here wearing something so suspicious."

Louise looked at him "Apologize to her majesty, NOW!" she yelled.

"No," Saito said blankly.

Louise proceeded to smack him, but Henrietta stopped her "Louise, don't. It was my fault for making a surprise visit. I hope I wasn't interrupting you and your lover."

"This thing isn't my lover!" Louise screamed, her face all red "This thing is only my familiar."

Though hidden by his hood, Saito rolled his eyes 'Am I really not human to you people?' he walked over to the window "I don't want to ruin such a touching reunion, so I'll leave you two alone." And with that, he jumped out.

Henrietta paled "Did he just jump out the window?"`

Louise shook her head "Don't worry; he does that all the time." She told her as they continued their conversation.

* * *

><p><strong>The next day<strong>

From the sidelines, Saito watched the presentations of several other familiars. Kirche's salamander created several intricate pillars of fire. Tabitha's dragon took to the skies and performed several tricks. Montmorency's frog "danced" to a violin. Guiche's mole… posed with him in a pile of flower petals. Finally it was Saito's turn.

"Next up, Miss Valliere's familiar." Colbert announced.

"Please perform." Louise desperately pleaded before she and Saito walked center-stage. "This is my familiar, Saito."

"..." Saito stood there, not even reacting a single bit. He just stared at the audience with a flat expression, with the audience staring back at him, anticipating for him to make a move.

...

...

...

_... *RUMBLE!*_

Suddenly, the ground started to shake vigorously. Everyone flew into a state of panic; no one had any idea what was going on. Saito, on the other hand, felt somewhat relieved that he didn't have to perform. Well, he wasn't going to perform anyway, but this was an excuse so that he wouldn't be chastised later.

As the earth started to shake, a rock formation started to emerge from the ground. The rock formation slowly took the shape of a golem. On top of it, there stood a hooded figure, an obscure look of smugness on her face.

"Fouquet!" someone screamed as the audience scattered.

Saito smiled. This was the perfect time to send Oliver and Olivia's message to her. Acting quickly, he sprinted towards the golem and started climbing "Fouquet, hold up, I have something for you."

"What?" Fouquet gave an astonished look. She thought no one was actually crazy enough to climb up a golem, especially one made by someone as dangerous as her. As Saito approached, Fouquet saw the thieves' guild emblem on his shoulder and paled "You're the twins' dog!"

Saito rolled his eyes "I am not their dog, I am only their friend- holy shit!" he yelled as he barely dodged the golem's fist. "Hold up, I'm only delivering a message!"

"Get away from me!" Fouquet screamed as her golem frantically thrashed around, trying in vain to throw Saito off.

"Will you stop?" Saito screamed as he climbed to the top of the golem. "Look, I have a message from them right here!" He pulled out the letter and handed it to her.

Ignoring her better judgment, Fouquet took the letter and silently read it. Her eyes widened as she continued reading it. She looked at Saito in astonishment "Did they really mean what they said?"

Saito nodded "Yep, they meant every-"

_*BOOM!*_

The wall to the vault exploded behind them. Saito and Fouquet looked down; Louise was aiming her wand at Fouquet "Keep her distracted while I attack her!" she screamed at Saito.

"Hold that thought." Fouquet said as she walked inside the vault and took the staff of destruction.

Saito rolled his eyes; not even trying to stop her.

"Why aren't you doing anything you stupid dog?" Louise yelled as she cast another explosion at Fouquet.

Saito paled; he knew that although Louise's aim was terrible, he knew that she was aiming at Fouquet. In haste, Saito pushed her out of the way "Look out!"

_*BOOM!*_

"K… _Kuso, ima de _(Damn, not now)…" Saito collapsed, unconscious.

Fouquet paled "Oh crap!" she quickly picked up Saito's unconscious body, but not before saying "Well, I'd love to stay and chat, but me and my, uh, hostage over here need to go!" and with that, she fled.

* * *

><p><strong>The next day<strong>

Saito woke up with a start. He looked around; he was currently in a rundown cabin of some sort. There wasn't much to look at; some old furniture, the bed Saito found himself on, and a chest covered by some tarp.

Suddenly, the door opened, revealing a hooded figure. Acting on instinct, Saito pulled out his USP and took aim.

"Oh, you're awake," the figure said as she took off her hood, revealing long, green hair.

Saito immediately recognized the voice and holstered his USP. "So, the mythical Fouquet is nothing more than the secretary of an old man,"

Fouquet blinked "How did you know that?" she asked.

"When you were in the vault a few days ago, in your secretary disguise, you were disappointed when you were told that the vault was impregnable from the inside, then you asked what and where the weaknesses of the vault were," Saito pointed out "Lastly, you knew exactly where the vault was when the presentation was going on. Only someone who had extensive knowledge of the school, such as the secretary, would know where it is."

Fouquet nodded "You are quite the investigator, young man."

"Well, then," Saito sat up "people call me Saito,"

Fouquet giggled "Okay then, Saito, my real name is Matilda of Sachsen-Gotha." She presented her hand.

Saito shook her hand "Okay then Matilda, nice to meet you." He looked around the cabin "So, what exactly is the staff of destruction?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Matilda replied as she pointed at the tarp covered chest in the corner. "It's on top of the chest, under the tarp.

Saito gave a quick nod as he took the staff from under the tarp. Cautiously, he opened the box. He let out a small smile; it was an M72 LAW rocket launcher. Well, to be exact, it was the British designation of the M72 LAW called the Rocket 66mm HEAT L1A1. It doesn't seem like it was used, adding more to the value. He looked at Fouquet "Well, this certainly earns the title "Staff of destruction"." He sighed "It's a shame though."

Matilda gave a confused look "What are you talking about?"

"Well," Saito examined the M72 LAW with a more expertise precision "I recognize this weapon; it can be used to blow up an entire building. The only drawback is that it can only be used once; after that, it's nothing more than a useless piece of scrap metal."

"Oh," Matilda said in a disappointed tone "so one of the most dangerous artifacts in the world can only be used one time before being useless." She slumped her shoulders in assumed defeat "Great, now the entire country's out for my head for stealing something that ultimately become useless."

Suddenly, a light bulb went up in Saito's head "Well, they won't be after your head if they think you're already dead." He smirked.

Matilda paled "What are you going to do?" she asked, worriedly. She personally didn't know Saito that well, but according to rumors from the students, it is said that he was famous for being _extremely _unpredictable.

Saito made an obscure grin under his hood "Oh don't worry, it only depends on how high one can survive a fall."

* * *

><p><strong>Three days later<strong>

Louise, Kirche, Tabitha, Longueville and a majority of the staff stood in Old Osmond's office. They all stood there, waiting in anticipation for Old Osmond's meeting.

"As you may know," Old Osmond started "three days ago, Fouquet stole not only the staff of destruction, but she also kidnapped the familiar of a certain student," everyone's gaze shifted towards Louise for a brief moment before shifting back to Old Osmond. "After a few days of investigation, Miss Longueville discovered Fouquet's whereabouts." he gestured to Longueville "Miss Longueville if you please?"

"Of course," Longueville replied as everyone's focus fell on her "Several witnesses claimed to have seen a black hooded figure carry a white hooded figure into a small shack in the forest. The black hooded figure is most likely Fouquet, while the white hooded figure is most likely Miss Valliere's familiar. I say, as this is our only lead, I suggest that we scout there and investigate the cabin. With any luck, If Miss Valliere's familiar is there, then so is the staff of destruction."

"Thank you, Miss Longueville," Old Osmond thanked her as he addressed the rest of the staff "So, who will be the one who shall restore this school's honor?"

No one raised their wand. They weren't willing to risk their lives, even if their pride was on the line. Before anyone else moved, Louise raised her wand. "I'll go!" she declared "My family will be in shame if word gets out that my familiar got kidnapped! Nor shall I let the princess take the blame for letting such a vile criminal steal a priceless artifact."

"I'll go too!" Kirche raised her wand "I don't want to be upstaged by a Valliere, nor will I let that adorable familiar of hers be handled by someone such as her!"

Before they could ignite an argument, Tabitha also raised her wand, only muttering "Worried,"

"Then it's settled," Old Osmond declared "since no one else is volunteering, these three students shall accompany Miss Longueville to apprehend Fouquet."

* * *

><p><strong>A few hours later<strong>

After a few hours of traveling, they had finally reached the shack where Fouquet was last seen.

Kirche whispered into Louise's ear "Don't you think it's a little suspicious?"

Louise blinked in confusion "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Your familiar seemed to have jumped into the line of fire to protect Fouquet," Kirche told her "Yet he doesn't seem like one who would easily be captured."

Louise stared at her; no matter how much she didn't want to admit it; she was right. Saito did seem to leap out and protect Fouquet, but it also seemed like he planned to do so. The only question was, why?

"Hey!" Longueville called out, interrupting Louise's train of thought "I'm going to check that area over there. You guys check the shack." She said as she left.

Letting her leave, Louise, Kirche and Tabitha entered the shack. Looking around, there wasn't much to look at, but there was evidence that someone was there recently.

"Not here." Tabitha said in a monotone. Both Saito and the staff were nowhere to be found. Even if they were here, they were long gone by now.

"I guess this lead is just a dead end huh," Kirche let out a disappointed sigh.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" a female voice screamed.

"What was that?" Louise said as she, Kirche and Tabitha ran out of the shack. They paled; in the distance, Fouquet and her golem stood there, a murderous aura surrounding them.

"Come on out, kid!" Fouquet yelled out, not acknowledging the presence of the academy students "I know you're out here! I already killed someone today, and you're not making it any easier for yourself!"

"…" Tabitha muttered an incantation to a spell "Windy icicle." A giant icicle formed, launching itself at the golem.

_*CRASH!*_

The icicle shattered harmlessly against the golem as it turned towards their direction. Fouquet glared at them "So, the academy sent children to stop me?" she laughed as her golem approached them.

"Hey!" a voice yelled "Over here!" It was Saito; the staff of destruction casually slung over his shoulder "You want me so badly? Well come get me." He threw a rock at Fouquet's direction before running away from the golem.

Fouquet growled "Don't get too cocky, brat." Fouquet's golem tried to grab at him, but Saito feinted to the left, barely dodging it before continuing. "Fouquet quelled in frustration "Hold still, damn it!" her golem kept trying to grab him, but he kept maneuvering around its attacks.

Eventually, the golem kept chasing Saito until he stopped at the base of a large tree. He turned around; he was caught between the tree and the golem. In other words, he was trapped.

Fouquet smirked "I got you cornered now, brat!" she sneered, barely noticing Saito activate his hidden gun "It's all over-"

Before she could finish, Saito aimed his arm at her and pulled the trigger.

_*BANG!*_

Fouquet took the bullet directly to the chest, the force of the bullet knocking her off balance and off the golem. She ungracefully fell to the ground, her blood splattering around her body upon impact. The golem, now without Fouquet's power, started to crumble and collapse around Fouquet.

Saito looked at what was left of the golem; all was left was a large pile of rocks. It sort of seemed like a small, makeshift tomb. Saito made a simple bow and uttered a short prayer "_Yasurakani nemure _(Rest in peace)."

He then turned back to Louise, Kirche, and Tabitha, who just watched him single-handedly took out Fouquet "Let's go, Fouquet is dead." He declared.

"But wait," Louise stopped him "What about Miss Longueville?"

"She was the one who screamed." Saito said blankly, no emotion present in his voice "It's easy to figure out what has happened to her. Don't worry about the body, I already passed her on. Let's go."

Louise looked at Kirche and Tabitha, who just nodded in approval before walking back to the carriage. Slumping her shoulders, she went back to the carriage along with them. Saito followed suit, but not before a smirk escaped his face.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback<strong>

"You want me to do what?" Matilda asked, an outraged look on her face.

"Fall off your golem, seemingly get crushed by its remains, and fake your death," Saito told her.

"My golems are over 30 feet tall; I would die instantly. I could survive with magic, but they will notice It." she yelled.

Saito rolled his eyes under his hood "I can jump from higher and still come out unscathed."

"You're some sort of acrobat, I'm not!" she countered.

"Okay, then," Saito whispered into her ear "if that's the case, then we're going to need a few things."

Matilda nodded "Okay, I'll be right back," and with that, she left the shack."

* * *

><p><strong>Several hours later<strong>

Matilda came back, a bag full of supplies slung over her shoulder. She let it drop to the ground, revealing 2 large bags full of lamb blood, a metal vest, and a small pouch of bullets. "Remind me why I needed to buy this stuff."

"We're going to use these to fake your death." He walked over to the supplies "The bags of blood are not only going to cushion your fall, but also give off the illusion that you're dead. The vest is going to protect you from the bullets, and the bullets are going to knock you off the golem."

Matilda blinked "Wouldn't you need a firearm first?"

"Don't worry about that," Saito told her "just put on the vest, bring one of those blood bags, and go outside. We're going to practice faking your death." He said as he took the pouch of bullets and walked outside.

* * *

><p><strong>A few minutes later<strong>

Saito sat down as Matilda, wearing the metal vest under her cloak, approached him. "What do you want me to do with the bag of blood again?" she asked him.

Saito stood up and attached the blood bag to the back of her vest, before concealing it under her cloak "Summon your golem. Don't ask questions, just do it."

Matilda shrugged as she summoned her golem. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"…" Saito didn't answer as he activated his hidden gun, reloaded it, and fired.

_*BANG!*_

A bullet immediately impacted Matilda in the chest. Even though she was protected by the metal vest, the force of the bullet was strong enough to knock her off the golem.

_*SPLAT!*_

Matilda fell on the blood bag, its contents splattering everywhere. She was completely drenched in animal blood, but otherwise she was fine. Angry, she got up and grabbed Saito by the collar "What the hell was that?"

Saito quickly got out of her grip and checked her metal vest; it was badly dented, but it still seemed usable. "Well, that test is done, onto the next test." He took a step back "is there a spell that can hide yourself in the earth?"

Matilda blinked, confused at the sudden question "um, yes, why are you asking that?"

"Show it to me." He said briefly. Matilda shrugged as she quickly cast the spell, immersing herself in the earth, before popping out a few minutes later.

Saito made an obscure smile under his hood "Perfect, now that you're prepared, you can fake your death. After this, they won't come after you anymore."

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback end<strong>

"Saito, are you coming?" a voice said, jarring Saito back to reality. He turned around; it was Louise who called him.

"Don't worry, I'm coming," he made an obscure smile before leaving the "murder" scene.

* * *

><p><strong>A few hours later, back in Old Osmond's office<strong>

Saito, Louise, Kirche, and Tabitha entered Old Osmond's office. They told him about how they recovered the staff of destruction

"So, Fouquet has been taken out, but Miss Longueville has also died in the process." Old Osmond sighed "It is such a tragedy that someone like her had to die. She was a good secretary, as well as having a nice pair of boo-" he realized that he was still in the presence of children and quickly reasserted himself "Anyhow, since you were the ones who managed to bring an end to Fouquet's crimes, not only will you three become the main event for tonight's ball, I have sent a letter of recommendation to the court; Miss Valliere and Miss Zerbst have been recommended to become chevaliers. And since Miss Tabitha is already a chevalier, I requested that she get the elven medallion."

"Wait," Louise abruptly entered the conversation "What about Saito? Not only was he the one who took out Fouquet, but he was also the one who confirmed his death."

"I'm sorry, Miss Valliere," Old Osmond apologized "But since he is not a noble, I'm afraid that there is nothing I could do for him."

Saito rolled his eyes "Whatever, I am not interested in any honors like that; all I'm looking for is a few answers," he looked at Louise, Kirche, and Tabitha "alone please." The three immediately understood what he was trying to imply and quickly left. He faced Old Osmond "The staff of destruction is a weapon from my world." He said, to Old Osmond's awe "What I'm wondering is, how did it get here?"

Old Osmond nodded "so, that's how it is." he started to remember how he had obtained the staff of destruction "it was about 30 years ago, I was ambushed by a large dragon. The one who had saved me was killed it with another staff of destruction before he collapsed. He was severely injured. I sent him to the academy and tried to treat his wounds but…"

"He died?" Saito guessed.

Old Osmond nodded "he was bedridden until the day died. I buried him with the staff he used to save me and named the other one the staff of destruction to commemorate him…" Old Osmond gazed out the window "while he was resting, he kept saying things repeatedly 'I am not supposed to be in this world. I have failed my mentor.' I supposed that he was also part of your world-"

"Wait," Saito stopped him midsentence "did he really say 'I have failed my mentor.'?" Old Osmond nodded. Saito quickly took off his bracer and showed him the Assassin insignia "Tell me, did he have an insignia just like this?"

Old Osmond's eyes widened "Now that you mention it, he did wear an emblem similar to that." He opened up one of his drawers and took out a letter. What caught Saito's attention the most; however, was that the Assassin insignia was adorned on the letter "his last wish was for me to give this and his equipment to anyone who wore the same emblem." He stood up and handed him the letter.

Saito reluctantly took the letter 'so I found no clues on how to get back, but at least I knew I'm not the first Assassin to enter this strange world,' he thought. He presented his left hand "Will you tell me what these mean, at the very least?"

"Ah, those are the runes of the Gandalfr," Old Osmond told him "these are the runes of the legendary familiar. The Gandalfr can use any weapon at will, which is most likely how you managed to use the staff of destruction. Which reminds me," Old Osmond stood up and walked to the door "Please follow me."

* * *

><p><strong>A few minutes later, at the academy storeroom<strong>

Old Osmond entered the vault, telling Saito to stay put outside the vault as he searched the vault for something. As he searched, Saito slowly read the letter. It read:

_Dear fellow assassin,_

_If you are reading this, then you must be a fellow member of the order, and I must have passed on from this world, wherever or whatever this world exactly is. Listen carefully; when I left this world, it was the Falklands War in 1982. While the war was taking place, I, along with a few other fellow Assassins were assigned by The Mentor to take out one of the Master Templars in Argentina, Leopoldo Galtieri. However, before we were able to, they realized we were here and attacked us. Heavily wounded, the other members of my team killed, I retreated as far away from them as possible. As I ran, I was engulfed in this strange light, and was sent here, to this world. In this world, I had saved some man who was attacked, and I don't lie, by what looked like a dragon-beast. The next thing I knew, I was in a bed, my wounds being treated. Though seems to be a lost cause; I feel my life slipping before my very eyes. Though it may be too late for me, I hope you might be able to make use of my equipment and escape this mysterious world._

_May Godspeed you, fellow assassin,_

_Aiden Blackall, of the Assassin Order_

As Saito finished reading this, Old Osmond came out of the vault, with what looked like a gun case, a Falklands War-era tactical webbing system, and an ammo box with him.

"This was the equipment of my savior," Old Osmond told him as he handed him the equipment "Please take it, he would have wanted it to be this way."

"…Okay," Saito said as he pocketed the letter and took the equipment. The tactical webbing was lightweight, and it contained four empty pockets, an empty canteen, a Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting knife, an old two-way radio, 2 pouches containing full magazines for an L9A1 browning, and a pistol holster, complete with a jammed, but not necessarily broken, L9A1 Browning. Strangely enough, the webbing seemed to have a spaulder attached to it, accommodating the right shoulder. 'It must have been a modification, rifle recoils can hurt sometimes,' Saito thought before he put it on over his clothing. He decided to place it underneath his hoodie later when no one's around.

He then checked the gun case. His eyes widened, it was a 7.62x51mm L42A1 sniper rifle. It looked like it was in good and working condition. He checked the clip, there were 7 rounds remaining. He then checked the ammunition box; it was filled with 177 7.62x51mm rounds. Though a bit old, they still seemed usable.

He slung the rifle over his shoulder and carried the ammo box under his arm. As he did, he swore that he saw the apparition of the deceased British Assassin, smiling at him.

"Are you okay, young man?" Old Osmond grew concerned, as Saito was starting to stare into space.

"Huh?" Saito's attention turned back to him "Oh, I'm fine," he quickly darted back to the apparition 'okay, I know I'm hallucinating now,' Saito shook his head as he and Old Osmond left the vault.

* * *

><p><strong>A bit later<strong>

The ballroom was filled with multiple teachers and students, each dressed grandly and exquisitely. They gathered around tables of exquisite food and chatted amongst themselves. Somehow, in his clothing, Saito managed to blend in, not attracting attention to himself. Saito guessed that they either did not care or that they were too occupied with the festivities to notice.

Saito walked over to the balcony and looked at the two moons. Though beautiful, they were proof that he is not on earth anymore.

_"It is good to see you again, my friend."_

'Yep, I'm going delusional again,' Saito rubbed his head in annoyance.

"Hey partner, you okay?" Derflinger asked, growing concerned for his user.

Before Saito could answer, the guards opened the door to the grand hall "The third daughter of Duke Valliere, Louise Francoise Le Blanc de la Valliere arrives!"

Louise entered, her pink hair tied in a ponytail, wearing an elegant pink dress and pure white gloves. Her appearance caught the attention of many, including Saito.

Several guys lined up and started to ask her for a dance. Saito quietly smirked at the irony; the guys lining up to dance with her, smitten with her, were also among the people who called her "Louise the Zero".

He watched as she turned down every offer and started to walk towards him. "You seem to be enjoying yourself," she said.

"These kinds of things don't exactly interest me." Saito told her, leaning on the balcony.

Louise stared at him "What, are you not going to ask me for a dance?"

"Wasn't there several guys lining up to ask you for a dance?" he countered.

Louise extended her hand "I'll just make an exception, just for today." She sighed, trying to hide a blush on her cheeks.

Going against his usual mindset, Saito slowly reached for her hand."May I have this dance?"

Louise curtsied "You may." She said as they started to dance.

_"What are you doing?"_

Saito winced as the voice entered his mind. He was confused what his feelings were, but he might as well act politely towards his 'master'.

Louise gave a worried look "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, let's continue." Saito muttered as they continued to dance.

_"These feelings you have are false! Don't be fooled!"_

'Shut up voice in my head- wait, voice in my head? Yep, I'm going nuts.' Saito thought to himself.

_"Get a hold of yourself! She's controlling your mind!"_

'Well, let's see here, a voice is in my head, I'm hallucinating, I'm being nice to someone I practically hate, vice versa, and I'm actually dancing.' Saito mentally commented, ignoring the voice in his head.

_"Forgive me, my friend, but this is the only way you will listen."_

Suddenly, a large amount of pain started to fill Saito's head. He abruptly stopped dancing and got to his knees, grasping his head in pain.

Louise, as well as other students, stopped and looked at Saito. "Are you okay-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Saito screamed in agony as his entire world went black.

* * *

><p><strong>Weapons unlocked!<strong>

**Hidden gun: a small firearm with a very short barrel so that it could be concealed in the arm. It can be used to take out enemies from a distance. It is easier to hide, as well as having more stopping power than Saito's USP, but upon firing, the flash and the noise will immediately give away Saito's position, as well as leaving him vulnerable if he misses. He recreated the hidden gun using a small Wheelock pistol and modifying **

**Ammo remaining: 7/12**

**M72 LAW: to be more specific, it is the British designation of the M72 LAW called the "Rocket 66mm HEAT L1A1". It is a one-shot anti-tank weapon which is used in several wars since its creation, including today. They are extremely efficient against tanks and other heavy artillery, which is one of their reasons for their popularity. Saito gave it back to Old Osmond and had it protected in the Academy vault.**

**Ammo remaining: 1/1**

**Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife: a double edged fighting knife that resembled a dagger or Poignard with a foil grip. It was used by the British during WWII and has been used by them ever since. It was designed exclusively for surprise attack and fighting, making it popular amongst the British Assassins, who bought them from military surplus.**

**Attack: ***

**Speed: ***** (+3)**

**Deflect: *** (+2)**

**L42A1: A British sniper rifle used during the Falklands war. It is the last model in the line of Lee-Enfield rifles. It is a 7.62x51mm conversion of **_**Lee-Enfield**_** rifles. Considering that this is a sniper rifle, Saito guessed that Aiden Blackall, -the assassin who used it before him- was a sniper class assassin. He has 184 rounds remaining.**

* * *

><p><strong>Items unlocked!<strong>

**Letter of a fallen Assassin: a letter written by a British Assassin by the name of Aiden Blackall. This letter details all of what has happened to Aiden before his death. Before he finished writing this letter, he tells the assassin who happens to come upon it (Saito) that he can have his equipment and use it to hopefully get out of this world.**

**Falklands-War era webbing: it is a tactical webbing system that was commonly used by the British during the Falklands war. It is used to carry pouches and small weapons on a lightweight scale. This one in particular is modified with a spaulder, which was probably used to lessen the pain of firearm recoil. Saito can sympathize with the design; he knew by experience that the recoil hurts if one's not used to it. As long as he is wearing this, the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife and (when repaired) Browning L9A1 will always be at his disposal.**

**Health: ******

**Resistance ******** (unbreakable)**

**Old two-way radio: a transceiver that can be used for communication. It is an old, but still usable model. There still seems to be a lot of power left, despite it supposedly being unused for a long time. It is unknown what happened to Saito's first radio, perhaps he lost it.**

**Broken L9A1 Browning: as its name suggests, it's a broken L9A1 Browning (or Browning Hi-Power) handgun. The firing pin seems to have been damaged, so it might take a while to scrounge up a new one. It currently has an empty magazine, and there are two spare clips for it, each holding 13 9mm rounds, bringing the 9mm ammo count to 182 rounds.**

**Ammunition box: a metal box that contains 177 7.62x51mm rounds.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Did you know that the first bulletproof vests were developed in the late middle ages? I guess that explains how the papal guards and the janissaries were able to take several shots in **_**Brotherhood**_** and **_**Revelations**_**. Also, if you want to know what that Staff was in the middle of the chapter, well, if I hadn't made it obvious enough, well… Anyways, please review!**


	5. Of blood and faeries

**Assassin in the Void**

**By psychored1911**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed or Familiar of Zero.**

**Chapter 5: Of blood and faeries**

* * *

><p><strong>Dream sequence<strong>

Saito looked around; he was not in the academy anymore; or anywhere for that matter. Rather, he looked like he was in some pitch black void. Other than him, there was nothing else besides a simple bench. Shrugging to himself, he walked over to it and took a seat.

"_Ah, I see you're doing well,"_

Saito turned in surprise. Sitting right next to him, sat an old man holding a white cane and a coiled rope, a weary smile on his face.

'That voice,' Saito looked at the man "You're the voice in my head. Do I know you?"

The old man gave him a hearty laugh _"Well, to some extent you have remembered me. I have watched over your ancestors for generations. Unfortunately, they tend to see me in their youth or in times of distress. Quite like your predicament right now. If i recall correctly, I had to change my appearance into this because you were frightened of what it was originally."_

Saito blinked "What are you talking about?"

"_That's not important at the moment. What is important is this," _the old man picked up his white cane (walking stick for the visually impaired) and swatted Saito's left hand.

"_Itai _(ouch)!" Saito drew back his hand in pain. He watched as a red welt formed over his runes.

"_Tell me, my friend: would you accept the power of the gods in exchange for your free will?"_

Saito gave an offended look "_Nandaro_ (What the hell)? Of course not!"

"_I'm afraid that you have already done so," _the old man took Saito's left hand and looked at the runes _"These runes will allow you to wield any weapon. But, in return, you will slowly lose yourself, your memories, until you are the perfect servant. If you serve that woman, well, you will become the enemy you have sworn to forever fight."_

Saito gave a horrified look "What? I didn't ask for that power!"

The old man shook his head _"Yes, but needn't worry," _the old man gently touched Saito's wound. In an instant, the blood started to glow, obscuring the runes. _"As we speak, I am slowly distorting the runes, giving you the power, but destroying the stigma that is corrupting your mind. If I were you, I would reread that notebook a couple more times, re-spark your old memories. It would make my job a bit easier." _The old man picked himself up and stood in front of Saito. _"Oh, before I forget," _he gently touched Saito's forehead with his white cane. _"There, you have inherited the power of your ancestors; let their experience become yours."_

* * *

><p><strong>Dream sequence end<strong>

"Ah!" Saito woke up with a start. He looked around; he was in Louise's bed. "What the hell was with that dream?" he grumbled as he groggily stood up. He stumbled a bit as he started to regain his bearings. He picked up Derflinger, who was placed on the table, and slowly walked towards the window.

"Hey partner, are you sure you don't want to take it easy for a while?" Derflinger asked in a worried tone "You seemed to be in a lot of pain the other day."

"_Daijoubu desu _(I will be fine)," Saito said as he climbed onto the windowsill.

"Excuse me?" Derflinger asked. "I think you're speaking in some sort of gibberish."

Saito realized he was speaking in Japanese and quickly justified himself "Sorry Derflinger, I just had a- never mind." If he told his dream to Derflinger, he'd probably think he's crazy. "Let's just go." And with that, he leapt out the window.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, at Tristain Castle<strong>

Henrietta came from her throne and walked over to Louise, who bowed deeply "Congratulations, Louise Francoise. You have earned the rank of chevalier."

Louise bowed again "It as an honor to accept the title of chevalier; but to tell the truth, I couldn't have done it without my familiar."

"Where is your familiar anyway?" Henrietta looked around, but Saito was not in the room.

"He is resting back at the academy." Louise told her "During the ball, he suffered from some severe headache. I needn't worry though; the local doctor said that he just needed some rest."

"Well, I hope that he gets better," Henrietta said in a sympathetic voice as she walked back to her throne. Despite being injured by the young man, she sensed that he didn't mean any real harm "I am in need of your assistance yet again."

"Anything for you, your majesty," Louise declared.

"I want to run an intelligence mission, check for any corruption amongst the local nobles." Henrietta gave a concerned look "I have heard that several have been abusing the commoners for their own gain, or worse; for that rebel group Reconquista." Henrietta hid a mental frown; there were several nobles in the court who bore friendly faces in her presence, but underneath that mask, they were nothing more than crooks who always abused the commoners. But now, with that rebel group in Albion causing strife amongst the nobility there, she was worried if any of the local nobility were getting any ideas.

"Don't worry your majesty!" Louise saluted with a dignified look on her face "You can count on me! I will make sure that they won't have their way."

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, back with Saito<strong>

Saito walked into the weapons store he obtained earlier. He wanted to see how successful it was doing under new management. Before he got there, the Tristain's arms dealer was nothing more than a cheap weapons stand that contained all sorts of poorly conditioned weapons.

Saito walked in with a surprise; there were several customers in the store, the inventory was much larger and assorted, but to top it all off, the salesman, now in jovial-looking clothes, seemingly wore a customer-satisfaction demeanor.

The salesman noticed him "Ah it's the owner!" he exclaimed as he motioned Saito to come closer "I have taken your advice; and now the store is more successful than it ever was when I managed it."

Saito was speechless "Umm… you're welcome?"

"Oh yes, before I forget," The salesman quickly went over to the register and pulled out a small pouch of gold "Here is the rent money for this month,"

"…" Saito quietly took the rent money and continued to the door "keep up the good work."

As he exited the building, Derflinger came out of his sheath "How about that? That jerk actually managed to turn that store around. And it's all thanks to you!"

Saito rolled his eyes. He guessed that the salesman changed so that he could continue living there "Whatever you say-"

"_Look over there."_

Suddenly, Saito's vision started to fail him. All he could see in his path was black and gold; and by that, everything turned into black silhouettes with only a faint, golden path to follow. Since his sight was failing him already, he slowly followed the path, stumbling over other people hidden from his vision.

"Hey partner, are you alright?" Derflinger said in a worried tone "Where are we going?"

"…" Saito ignored him as he continued moving. Eventually, after a few minutes of walking, he started to regain his sight. Surprisingly, he found himself at a desolate alleyway, with nothing besides a few trash cans and the dead body of a young woman just lying there.

"_Well, examine the body."_

'You don't have to tell me," Saito got on one knee and closely examined the body 'I'd say by that small hole in her arm, she was stabbed by what looked like a needle, most likely tampered with some paralysis drug. Afterwards, the perpetrator forcibly stabbed her. Judging from the condition of the body, it was done rather recently, most likely last night. If only I had some sort of I.D., then I could identify her work and faction.' He examined her body, and quickly found a badge; a fairy in pink pentagon. The name was etched onto the back 'Hmm… Adele of the Courtesans' guild,' Saito quickly wrote it down in his notebook. 'Guess I better check it out,' he closed the corpse's eyes "_gomeifuku wo inorimasu _(rest in peace)." And with that, he left for the courtesan's guild.

* * *

><p><strong>A few minutes later<strong>

Saito looked up "This looks like the place," the courtesans' guild looked a bit more, well, appropriate, than he would have thought. Sure, the employees were wearing rather suggestive outfits, but they also seemed to have this rather pure, no, innocent air around them. This was a far cry from the brothels and such that were popular in Renaissance Europe.

"Oh! Are you a customer?" a voice said. Saito turned around; a man in drag-queen like attire met his gaze "Welcome to the Charming Faeries' Inn. I am Scarron, owner of this establishment. How may I help you?" He said in a flamboyant manner.

Saito sweatdropped "Umm… this is the Courtesans' guild, right?"

"You're both right and wrong!" the Scarron justified, further confusing Saito "This is one sect of the Courtesans' guild. This sect is for our more "innocent" members. If you're looking for our more 'hardcore' material, then-"

"No, that's not why I'm here." Saito quickly changed the subject; he was definitely too young for something like that "I'm here because I found this," he presented Adele's seal "She's dead."

Scarron's face slowly turned serious. "Come with me," he pulled Saito to one side "you aren't joking, are you?" he said in a more serious tone.

Saito nodded "Unfortunately, yes sir; she is dead. I'm sorry about the loss."

Scarron sighed as he slumped onto a chair "That's the third murder this month," he rubbed his head "I don't know what to do anymore." He said in a more masculine voice.

Saito sat down as he took out a notepad "If it means anything, I'd like you to tell me what happened the last time you saw her."

"The last time I saw her, she said she was going to a nearby doctor to treat her wound." Scarron told him.

This piqued Saito's interest "Did she say which doctor she was going to?"

"She said she was going to the doctor by Bourdonne Street."

Saito put away the notepad "Give me a few minutes, I'll find the murderer." And with that, Saito stood up and left the inn.

* * *

><p><strong>A bit later<strong>

After a few minutes of searching, Saito found the doctor's stand "Excuse me sir," Saito got the doctor's attention "Did you know if a girl named Adele was here a bit earlier?"

"…" the doctor took a step back before trying to beat a hasty retreat.

'I knew it,' Saito thought as he chased after him. From the beginning, Saito noticed how similar the case was to the Malfatto, and more recently, the Jack the Ripper cases that assassins faced in earlier generations.

Saito followed the doctor until they reached a dead end.

In panic, the doctor pulled out a large syringe "G… get away from me!" the doctor screamed in terror "I didn't murder that woman!'

"Then, why did you run?" Saito sternly asked.

The doctor stayed in denial "I did not kill her!"

"You're sounding very suspicious right about now," Saito glared back at him.

"Shut up!" the doctor charged at him, an insane look on his face. Saito quickly dodged before stabbing him with the hidden blade.

_*SHTLINK!*_

Saito gently laid the doctor on the ground. "Why did you kill those girls?"

"R… Reconquista promised me power if I killed the ones who had found out their spies." The doctor started to cough up blood.

"The courtesans, they heard of their plans through rumors?" Saito inferred.

"Yes… I do not regret my actions…" The doctor coughed blood again.

"Who are the spies?" Saito sternly asked.

"I shall never tell…" The doctor died in Saito's arms.

Saito stared at the corpse "… _Yasurakani nemure_ (rest in peace)." Saito closed the doctor's eyes as he took the syringe from the corpse. He stood up "I guess I should report to the owner again."

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, back with Louise<strong>

Louise, wearing a black dress and beret, sighed as she sat down by a fountain. When she was given money to pay for her mission, she foolishly gambled it all away in an attempt to make more money. Now, with no money, Louise has no idea how she is going to carry on with her mission, let alone survive the mean streets of the city.

"Oh hello!" Louise turned around; it was an obviously confused man wearing women's clothing. "I am Scarron. I run the charming faeries' inn. Are you interested in staying for the night?"

Louise shook her head "I'm sorry sir-"

"Wrong!" Scarron shouted rather floridly "It's mi mademoiselle!"

Louise sweatdropped "I'm sorry mi mademoiselle, but I don't have any money."

"That's not a problem! It will be for free!" Scarron made a flamboyant pose "Buuuuuuuut, under one condition…

* * *

><p><strong>A few minutes later<strong>

"Now girls, I would like to introduce to you our newest employee!" Scarron motioned to Louise, who was now wearing a frilly, revealing dress "This is Louise. Because of some debt she inherited from her parents, she will be working here for a while."

Louise bowed "N… nice to meet you all!" she stammered "I hope we can get along well together!"

"Oh, before I forget," Scarron added "I advise for you all to be careful on your way home. There has been a serial killer seen around this area and he's-"

"Been taken care of," a voice interrupted. Everyone's attention shifted. It was Saito, twirling a rather large syringe in his left hand "The serial killer is dead. I confirmed it." He said blankly, ignoring Louise's presence completely

Several of the girls squealed in joy. Others sighed in relief. "Are you sure that he is dead?" Scarron asked him.

Saito nodded "Of course, I confirmed it personally."

Scarron motioned to one of the waitresses "Jessica, bring out some of our best wine and give everyone a shot on the house; today we celebrate!"

Several of the workers squealed as they went off to their business. Louise, however, pulled Saito to the side "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.

"That depends; tell me why you're working for the courtesan's guild." Saito countered.

Louise paled "W… what are you talking about?"

"This building is a sect of the courtesan's guild. You're telling me you didn't know?" Saito made an obscure smirk under his hood.

Before Louise could answer, Scarron approached the two "Oh, before I forget," he handed Saito a pentagon shaped seal decorated with a fairy "Here, this shows that you are an ally of the guild."

Saito attached the badge to his shoulder "Thanks," as he took it, he saw the apparition of the deceased courtesan, giving him a wink before disappearing. 'Yep, I'm going delusional again,' he rolled his eyes as he walked into the bar and pulled out a recipe from his notebook.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback, New York, 2010<strong>

A younger Saito looked at a sign; the words 'Bad weather' flashing in neon lights atop a building. From the smell alone, one could easily tell it was a bar. He looked at this partner "Colette, remind me why we're here,"

"C'mon, just live a little for once," Colette said cheerfully as she dragged him inside.

"Aren't I a bit young to enjoy myself at, oh I don't know, _A BAR?_" he tried to struggle out of her grip. "I'm not as old as you are."

"Oh relax; it's not like Bill's going to notice," Colette brought Saito inside and lead him into a booth. She got the attention of a bartender "I'll take a Shirley Templar; the kid will have a Shirley Temple,"

Saito gave a suspicious look "Shirley Templar?"

"It's just a name, don't get so alarmed," Colette told him "It's nothing more than a Shirley Temple cocktail with some gin."

The bartender handed them their drinks "Here you go,"

Saito tugged at the bartender's clothing "Hey, can I have the recipe for the Shirley Templar?"

The bartender shrugged "Sure," he took a card and wrote down the recipe "Here you go,"

Saito took the recipe and pocketed it "_Arigatou _(Thanks)," Saito then took one of the drinks "Well, bottoms up!" he quickly drank the beverage, ignorant of its contents.

Colette's eyes widened "No, wait, that's the-" But it was too late; Saito drank the whole thing. Immediately after drinking it, Saito collapsed, out cold. "Shirley Templar," she deadpanned.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback end<strong>

"Note to self: if you drink something with gin, make sure it is compound gin and not distilled. I wished that I recognized the bartender sooner though. Oh well," Saito thought to himself as he mixed the drink at the bar.

Jessica, one of the waitresses, noticed Saito mixing the drink "Hey," she got Saito's attention "What'cha mixing over there?"

Saito nonchalantly poured her a drink "Try it," he said quietly.

Jessica shrugged as she took a sip. Her eyes widened "This is great! What do you call it?"

"The Shirley Templar," Saito answered "A friend of mine showed it to me."

Jessica took another sip of the Shirley Templar "This is really good,"

"Hey, where's my drink?" one of the customers hollered at their direction.

"I got to go; we'll talk later," Jessica said as she unconsciously took the Shirley Templar and served the customer.

The customer took a swig of the Shirley Templar "Hey, this isn't my drink, but it ain't half bad. Hey waitress, I'll have another one of this!"

Jessica motioned for Saito to make another drink. Eventually, other customers noticed Saito mixing the drink. Curious, they also ordered whatever Saito was drinking. As they drank, they all yelled in praise.

"This drink is amazing!"

"I haven't tasted anything like it!"

"I'm coming here every day just to get this drink!"

"Where's the creator of this drink? I want to give him my regards in person!"

* * *

><p><strong>The next day, a few hours before the inn opens<strong>

Overnight, the Shirley Templar has become the Charming Faeries' Inn's most popular cocktail. Saito, who introduced the cocktail, unintentionally made the Inn the most famous bar in town.

"That was one of our most profitable day ever!" Scarron exclaimed "And it's all thanks to you!"

"Well, it wasn't exactly the way I pictured spending my weekend," Saito sweatdropped. He was actually trying to investigate spies from Reconquista. On the other hand, making an ally of the courtesan's guild could help him with that. "Can I ask you a question first?"

Scarron nodded "Ask anything you'd like!"

Saito folded his arms "You guys are courtesans, right? So don't people look down on your faction?"

"Ah, but that's the beauty of it. It's the fact that they _do _underestimate us and we use that to our advantage." Scarron explained "Since they underestimate us, they don't notice that we extract their money and information from right under their noses."

"Oh, that makes sense-" Saito stopped for a second "wait; you said your girls had extracted information?"

"Yes, they're usually just rumors, but from time to time, we hear something important."

"Did you hear from a group known as Reconquista?" Saito asked.

"But of course, they are a favorite subject of rumors. In fact," Scarron walked over to the bar. After a few minutes, he came back with a folder full of files "We archived several of the rumors attached to them." Scarron handed the folder.

Saito gave a skeptic look. It seems strange that they had all this information about them. Then again, they did say that they have been doing this for a while. Maybe that was why Reconquista hired the serial killer to kill them. Brushing off the thought, Saito reluctantly took the folder and started looking through its contents. 'There's a lot of info, but I can't tell which is real or false,' he grumbled in frustration.

"_Allow me to be of service,"_

Suddenly, Saito's eyesight went black again. Everything was black silhouettes except for one sheet of paper, a completely white piece of paper. A split second later, his vision returned to him, and he was looking at a paper filled with detailed notes. He silently read it 'let's see here… A group of Reconquista agents are going to go and steal the possessions of one named Sir Turenne," he quickly handed the folder back to Scarron "Quickly; I need to know where Sir Turenne lives, right now!"

* * *

><p><strong>A bit later, at Sir Turenne's mansion<strong>

Five Reconquista agents snickered as they loaded crates full of treasure onto a carriage. It was an easy job; they thought that they could get away with it. What they didn't know, was that they were being watched.

"Hey, have you heard," one of the agents struck a conversation "There have been sightings of an angel," he said as he started lifting up on one the crates.

"An angel? No way," Another agent commented as he helped him "That's just an urban legend,"

"Well, if this angel is real or not, he's been bringing death along with him," a third added.

"True, but he doesn't seem to be working for the Tristainian government," a fourth one mentioned.

"A mercenary perhaps?" the last one noted.

The first one put down his crate "Well, I think-"

_*SHTLINK!"_

The first agent fell to the ground, dead. As he fell, a white silhouette appeared where the deceased agent once stood.

"I… it's the angel…" one of the agents whispered in fear.

"We can take him," another commented as he charged at him. Saito, unflinching, drew Derflinger and flipped himself over his attacker. Not stopping, he thrusted his sword behind him, killing the attacker immediately.

"Son of a bitch!" a second agent tried to tackle him, but he made the fatal mistake of tripping. Saito, taking advantage of this, grabbed the agent and used him as a human shield. A second agent dashed towards them, trying to help his friend. Seeing this, Saito pulled out his crossbow and shot the second attacker in the face.

Finding no more use in his shield, Saito snapped his shield's neck as he approached the final agent, who was cowering in fear. He grabbed the agent by the collar "Tell me why you done all this," he sternly growled.

"I… it wasn't our doing!" the agent soiled his pants in terror "It was Sir Turenne; he orchestrated the theft so that the shipment would look like a robbery! He would say that the taxes have been stolen so that he could take more from the commoners!"

Saito kept his grip firm on the agent. It made sense; this explained why there were no guards trying to stop them. It explained how they were easily able to do such crimes. Reconquista manipulated them all.

"You have chosen the right thing to do. Unfortunately, you have made the mistake of allying yourself with those who seek destruction." Saito chanted as he executed the agent. He gently laid the body on the ground and closed its eyes "_Yasurakani nemure_ (Rest in peace)."

After passing the agent on, he checked out the carriage. There, he took a few small pouches of gold, but little else interested him. However, a single, wooden crate strangely caught his eye. Curious, he opened up the box.

It was a Colt 1878 Double barreled shotgun. Well, that was the model anyways; the barrel and the stock were both sawn off. Besides the shotgun, there was a bandolier, holding 39 12 gauge shells, as well as a box containing 22 shells. This, and the two shells inside the sawn-off, he had 61 shells.

"It's my lucky day," Saito smiled as he took the sawn-off and ammo. He stood up and looked around "Okay, it's about time I should head back."

* * *

><p><strong>A few hours later, back at the inn<strong>

Saito walked into the Charming Faeries' Inn "Hey Scarron, I'm-"

"Oh good you're here!" Scarron hastily pushed Saito into the bar "You can give your report later, just make that cocktail again!"

"… Whatever you say," Saito shrugged as he got out the ingredients and started mixing the drink.

Meanwhile, Louise glanced over his direction 'Grr, what is that dumb dog thinking?' she had no idea what Saito was doing here in the first place, but it seems like he was doing some investigation. Since he's most likely not going to tell her, she is going to have to find out herself.

"Hey!" a customer smacked Louise in the butt "Where's my drink?"

Louise fumed "Why you stupid-"

Before she could overreact any further, a glass bottle sailed through the air, hitting Louise in the head.

_*CRASH!*_

Louise fell to the ground, unconscious. After a few seconds, Saito emerged from the bar "I'm sorry sir; I'll get your drink, as soon as I clean up this mess." He said as he picked up Louise and carried her to the bar. As soon as he got there, he set her down and gave her a swift kick, jarring her back awake. "What the hell do you think you were doing?" he glared at her "You are supposed to serve them, not attack them."

Louise got up and dusted herself off "You try and serve to these people's every need!" she whined as she violently stamped her foot.

"Welcome to our world," Saito smirked. He then folded his arms "Look, maybe if you try treating the customers with the same respect you treat royalty, maybe you'll be more successful at this job." And with that, he picked up a broom and started cleaning the mess he made earlier, leaving Louise to think to herself.

"Hmm… treat customers like I would Princess Henrietta, huh?"

* * *

><p><strong>The next day<strong>

During work, Louise began to give off the air off a royal servant; something that no other employee, not even Jessica, can manage. This, coupled with Saito's Cocktail, made the Charming Faeries' Inn even more popular.

"Saito," Scarron got the young assassin's attention "I need you to do something for me,"

Saito turned to him "What do you need?"

"I need you to go with Jessica and obtain the rent from the other departments," he motioned to Jessica, who was currently wearing typical commoner's clothing.

The young assassin gave a brief nod "understood," and with that, he followed Jessica out of the inn.

As they walked, Jessica leaned closer to Saito "You aren't from around here, aren't you?"

"What makes you say that?" Saito dully asked.

Jessica started to make a list "Well, for one, you're wearing rather strange clothing. Second, you have a sword on your belt, indicating you're a traveler. And third, unlike most bartenders, you only know how to make one cocktail,"

Saito ignored her comment. They kept walking until they reached the Alluring Devils Brothel, a building highly reminiscent of a BDSM club/brothel. He could tell because of the faint sounds of moaning and the disturbing scent of... bodily fluids in the air 'Well, this must be their 'hardcore' department.' Saito thought as he reached for the door.

"_I wouldn't touch that if I were you."_

Saito stopped his hand "You know what, I think you should go inside and get the money."

Jessica rolled her eyes "Somehow, I thought you'd say that," she said as she walked inside.

As she walked inside, Saito sighed in relief "thanks for the save there,"

"_I am supposed to protect you, remember? This is my job."_

"Well…" Saito stopped himself as soon as Jessica came back. He continued to follow her "So, where's the next stop?"

"Our other department is a casino," Jessica told him "Our workers there usually entice the gamblers into spending all their money, then we fool them and leave them penniless."

Saito stared at her, dumbfounded "Only a real idiot would fall for that." He told her.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, back at the Inn<strong>

"ACHOO!" Louise sneezed.

* * *

><p><strong>Back with Saito and Jessica<strong>

Saito waited patiently for Jessica to come out of the casino. Suddenly, he fell to the floor, his head pounding like crazy. "Grr… not again!" he growled as he grasped his head in pain.

"Hey, I'm back," Jessica smiled as she carried the rent on her belt "Come on kid, it time to-" she frowned as she saw Saito, balled up in pain "hey, are you all right?" she said worriedly as she ran to his side.

Saito clutched his head in agony. But, after a few seconds, he stood up, looking completely unharmed. He stared at Jessica "What in _tarnation_ (damnation) are you looking at?"

Jessica gave a worried look "Are you okay? You seemed to be in a lot of pain back there."

"Don't worry; I'm as _fine as cream gravy _(top notch)," Saito started walking away, not even wondering what he had said. "Let's just head back to the saloon,"

"The what?"

"The inn," Saito corrected himself as he walked back, with Jessica following shortly.

* * *

><p><strong>A bit later<strong>

Saito and Jessica came back to a surprising sight: a large group of commoners were gathered outside the Charming Faeries Inn, all glaring at the inside. Curious, Saito got the attention of one of the angry commoners "Hey, what's going on?"

"It is Sir Turenne," The commoner explained "He kicked everyone out just so he and his bodyguards can enjoy themselves here."

"I heard he overtaxes your business if someone dares stand against him," another commented.

"Not to mention that he's all touch and no tip," Jessica muttered, unintentionally getting stares from others.

As they talked amongst themselves, Saito intently listened to the many rumors, all very negative. Including the rumors of him siding with Reconquista, all of these rumors make him _very_ late for a much needed assassination. Acting quickly, he looked at a nearby stable full of horses, and smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, inside the inn<strong>

Sir Turenne sat impatiently at his table. He had heard of a new cocktail that was very popular with the local commoners, so naturally, he wanted to see what the fuss was about. "I am getting impatient, Mr. Scarron,"

"Look, I'm sorry Sir Turenne," Scarron apologized "But I already told you; the one who made the cocktail isn't here. He's on a job for me,"

"Well then call him back!" Sir Turenne ordered "I-"

_*gallop, gallop, gallop, CRASH!*_

Suddenly, a horse charged into the front door, its white hooded rider brandishing a pistol in hand. Amidst the confusion, Saito aimed his USP at Sir Turenne, and fired.

_*chik*_

A red hole formed on Sir Turenne's forehead, slowly oozing blood. Sir Turenne fell on the ground, dead. Turenne's bodyguards, shaking off their initial bewilderment, pulled out their muskets and aimed it at Saito, who now pulled out Derflinger. "Get him!" one of the bodyguards yelled as they fired their muskets.

"…" Saito charged in and impaled one of the bodyguards with Derflinger. Acting quickly, he hopped over the dead body and took aim with his USP, shooting the heads of four other bodyguards, killing them.

Spotting the last bodyguard, Saito held his USP by the waist and started twirling it like a revolver. He watched as the final bodyguard's focus shifted from him to his USP. Tossing the USP into the air, he pulled out his sawn-off and shot the distracted bodyguard in the chest, immediately downing him.

"Hmph, I dropped countless fools that put up more of a fight than them," Saito rolled his eyes as he caught his USP in midair and pulled out Derflinger from the corpse. He walked over to Sir Turenne's corpse "Oh well, sleep tight, partner," he made a little prayer and closed Turenne's eyes. He then picked up Sir Turenne's wallet and tossed it to Scarron "I reckon' this should cover the damages."

Scarron took the money "Thanks, you have the gratitude of the entire guild." He then resumed his girly voice "Now everyone; LET'S CELEBRATE!" he cheered as several customers stormed in, somehow undaunted by the corpses of the fallen nobility.

Someone tapped on Saito's back "Hey," It was Louise, still wearing the uniform "You did good out there," No response "Hello? Are you in there?" she knocked on Saito's head "HEY!"

"Hmm…?" Saito ignored her and started walking upstairs.

"Hey! Don't ignore me while I'm talking to you!" Louise barked at Saito, but he continued to ignore her "Hey!"

* * *

><p><strong>Later that night<strong>

Saito sat on the roof, staring at the twin moons, a calm feeling washing over him.

"_Is something bothering you, my friend?"_

"… What happened to me back there?" Saito asked, clearly thinking over his actions "One minute I was me; the next…"

"_Go on,"_

"The next minute, I felt like I was someone else; I was another person," Saito finished. He didn't know why, but he started talking and acting like a shadow of himself, a past life, an _ancestor_.

"_I guess you are experiencing the bleeding effect."_

Saito blinked "Excuse me?" he read about it from one of Lucy Stillman's reports. The symptoms differ from person to person, but the end result is always constant: they undergo a mental breakdown and lose their mind.

"_You needn't worry, my friend. Despite this, your ancestors' memories shall teach you everything you need to know. With their knowledge, you will liberate yourself, give yourself true freedom."_

"Well, I hope you're right…" Saito said as he stared into the night sky, the twin moons glowing in the night.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: before we go on, this might shed some light on Saito's strange behavior late in the chapter.**

* * *

><p><strong>Ancestor profile<strong>

**Alias: The Kusagari Kid**

**Real name: unknown, though was known to answer to Kyle or Akira**

**Born: July 2, 1858 in Los Angeles, California**

**Time period: American Old West, Meiji Period**

**Political affiliations: Assassin Order, Kusagari clan**

**Special talents: gunslinging, Japanese swordsmanship, free-running...**

**Origins: in 1854, Logan McLarens, who happened to be an American Assassin, Sailed to Japan under Commodore Perry to investigate or prevent any Templar activity in Japan. There, he and a member of the prestigious Kusagari clan named Sakura Kusagari fell in love with each other and married in 1857. **

**Biography: Kyle (or Akira) was the son of an Assassin father and a Samurai mother. He had quite a humble childhood: living as a normal boy in Los Angeles. He was taught how to use a katana and horseback riding by his mother and was taught how to free-run and use a firearm by his father. He learned of his heritage (both Samurai and Assassin) at a young age. By the age of 23, he became an extensively accomplished Assassin, assassinating outlaws & Templars such as Sam Bass and Sandy King. His actions have brought justice and prosperity not only to the Old West, but to Meiji Japan as well. He is well known in the Order for blending western gunslinging with the signature Kusagari sword style****, creating a unique style that utilizes both a Katana and a firearm ****(usually a revolver) in perfect synchronization. His weapons of choice were a one-of-a-kind custom made revolver and his ancestors' powerful katana in battle. A gifted swordsman, he is capable of doing things most people can only dream of.**

**Personality: he acts extremely serious when in combat, utilizing talents in gunslinging and kenjutsu to take down his enemies. He knows pain, fear, and hate, yet he doesn't show it. He is quite the loner, though he is very respectful towards civilians and his fellow Assassins.**

**Note: Kusagari was given two names when he was born: Kyle was given by his father, and Akira was given by his mother and uses either name depending on the region. Ironically, modern historians have forgotten his name(s) completely, and solely dub him as "The Kusagari Kid". **Kusagari, when his clan had scattered due to a massacre, had reassembled the clan and had them aligned to side with the Assassin Order. Kusagari also inherited from his ancestors a special formula for an extremely strong and lightweight alloy, which he implemented on his armor and weapons.**When Saito is using this ancestor's DNA, he will start talking in a gruff, old western accent and will fight using Kusagari's unique "gun-edge" style; dual-wielding with a sword and a gun. His eyes will also seem to turn to a notable dark brown instead of the usual blue. However, since Kusagari never used the hidden blade, Saito will be much more reluctant to use his. Kusagari's katana is a family heirloom, and it is currently in the possession of Saito's older sister, but his revolver and armor have been lost to the sands of time. Perhaps they are hidden in Halkenginia?**

* * *

><p><strong>Weapons unlocked!<strong>

**Colt 1878 Double barreled shotgun "Sawn off": a 12 gauge double barreled shotgun developed by Colt. The barrel and the stock have been sawn off, giving it more power and spread at the cost of range. In this world, simply pulling it out will immediately end a fight- pulling the trigger certainly will. It has 62 shells remaining.**

**Glass bottle: an empty glass bottle that can be found anywhere. Smashing it on someone's head can easily be used to knock someone out. It can be turned into a lethal weapon by breaking the bottom and using the remains to fight.**

**On hand: 0/1**

* * *

><p><strong>Items obtained!<strong>

**Large syringe: as the name suggests, it is a syringe with a large needle. It can quickly administer any medicine painlessly, or as least as painless as a needle can get. The design allows the needle and the plunger to retract and eject out of the barrel for easy transportation. Hmm... This gives Saito an idea.**

**Courtesans' guild seal: a seal that proves you are a member of the Courtesans' guild. Saito obtained this after killing a serial killer that was murdering members of the guild. Fellow members will help Saito out in times of distress and vice versa.**

**Shirley Templar recipe: a recipe for a cocktail called the Shirley Templar. It is basically a Shirley Temple cocktail with gin. Saito likes making it, but doesn't drink it to avoid alcohol poisoning. He got the recipe from a bartender who works at "Bad Weather".**

**Bandolier: a pocketed belt for holding ammunition. This one in particular holds 60 12 gauge shotgun shells. Saito wears it under his hoodie.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: And that's it. I'm sorry for not updating; it's just that I had a lot of tests at that time. And with finals coming, don't expect much from me for a while. On another note, take a guess on who that bartender was in Saito's flashback. I will explain that voice in Saito's head later, though it has something to do with one of his ancestors. This ancestor, The Kusagari kid, will most likely be the one that I'll be using throughout the fic. By the way, I made a couple of references to a certain game from Ubisoft in this chapter. I bet you can't figure out which one it is. Anyways, see you later, please review!**


	6. Liberation

**Assassin in the Void**

**By psychored1911**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed or Familiar of Zero**

**Chapter 6: Liberation**

* * *

><p><strong>At the academy, early in the morning<strong>

Saito watched Louise practice her horseback riding while he practiced spinning his USP in his hand. Sure, he wasn't exactly using a revolver, but ever since the bleeding effect started affecting him, he started growing quite fond of it. 'No wonder my ancestor did this a lot; this is kind of fun,' the young assassin thought as he kept spinning his pistol.

Louise stopped her horse and watched as her familiar spun his, in her opinion, odd looking firearm "what are you doing?"

Saito tossed his USP over his shoulder, caught it, and then put it back in its holster "since when have my actions interest you?" he smirked.

Louise flinched. She had gotten more and more curious of Saito ever since his "rescue" of most of the academy's student body a few weeks prior, but it wasn't like she would admit it "I was just asking, sheesh!' she pouted.

Saito rolled his eyes, though hidden under his hood "You shouldn't really ask if you're not truly interested,"

Before they could ignite an argument, a horse-drawn carriage galloped up to them. Kirche's smiling face emerged from one of the windows "Are you two fighting already, at this hour in the morning?"

Louise just stared menacingly at Kirche. Saito, on the other hand, folded his arms "I take it you're going on a trip?"

"As observant as always, darling," Kirche winked at him "Tabitha has invited me over to her home in Gallia, so we're going there for vacation." She moved out of the window, revealing Tabitha reading a book behind her.

Saito gave them a simple shrug. Personally, he did not care about what people did with their vacations "Well, have a safe trip… I guess," he watched as Kirche and Tabitha's carriage drove away.

Louise fumed "I don't want you to talking to that Zerbst woman!" she demanded.

"Oh, and why shouldn't I?" Saito raised an eyebrow.

"Because, the Zerbst and the La Valliere have been at war since my grandfather- hey what are you doing?" she yelled as Saito walked behind her horse.

Saito, who lost interest in the conversation, smacked the rear end of the horse as hard as he could.

_*NEIGH!*_

Louise's horse rapidly galloped out of the academy gates, leaving Louise, who was still riding the horse, to cling on for dear life.

Saito rubbed his hands together as he watched Louise gallop into the distance. "I wonder if Scarron has anything for me to do," he said as he started walking towards the town.

* * *

><p><strong>Sometime afterwards, Charming Faeries' Inn<strong>

Saito walked into the Charming Faeries' Inn "Hey Scarron, you in here-"

"Oh good you're here!" Scarron shoved a large package into the young assassin's hand. "I need you to deliver this to Jeanne, the leader of the Mercenaries' guild."

Saito examined the package "What's in the package anyway?" he gently shook the package.

"It's something that she asked me to hold onto while she was away," Scarron urged him to the door "Just make sure to deliver that package. The Mercenaries' guild building is in the northern district of town; you can't miss it."

"…" ever so reluctantly, Saito picked up the package and headed for the Mercenaries' Guild building.

* * *

><p><strong>A bit later, somewhere in town<strong>

Saito stood outside a building. The building in particular looked like the cross between a mercenaries' barracks and a gym. A sign, a small bear in a blue pentagon, stood on the door. "This looks like the place," Saito said as he opened the door.

Saito looked around; multiple heavily armored men and women were either training or chatting amongst themselves. A few of them stopped and started looking at Saito, whispering "Isn't that the rumored angel everyone's been talking about?" or "What's a kid doing in a place like this?" or "Hey, that's the kid who murdered Sir Turenne." Among other such sayings.

One of the mercenaries approached the young assassin. He pulled out what looked like a wanted poster. To Saito's horror, the poster had what looked like an effigy of his hooded self on it. It read _"WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE. This criminal is wanted for assassination, homicide, theft, grand theft, vandalism, and rebellion against the nobility. The royal council is offering 5,000 ecu to anyone who captures or kills this revolutionary."_ Seeing this, Saito put a hand on his USP and watched the mercenary with anticipation.

What the mercenary did next, however, surprised the young assassin; the mercenary pulled out a pen and asked "Could I have your autograph?"

Saito just stood there, dumbfounded "Uh, sure… I guess," he took the pen and signed the wanted poster. He sweatdropped as some of the younger mercenaries swarmed around him, asking him all sorts of questions and such.

"Hey, give the poor man some space.' The mercenaries dispersed as a young man emerged from one of the rooms. From the look of it, he was no older than Saito, maybe a bit older. The young man wore plate armor over a blue tunic and black pants. He wore what looked like a bearded axe on his belt.

"I presume you're the leader of the Mercenaries' Guild?" Saito guessed.

The young man shook his head "I'm sorry sir; I am her second in command." He then presented his hand "They call me Eliot, nice to meet you."

The young assassin shook his hand "The name's Saito, nice to meet you."

"Ah, we've heard of you; you're famous among the Halkenginian Underground." Eliot told him "In fact, Jeanne told me if you ever showed up in the building, I was to recruit you immediately."

"I'm flattered, but I'm only here to deliver a package," Saito put the package on a nearby table "Though to tell you the truth, I'm more than willing to join if I get to meet her first."

Eliot flinched "Uh… well, um… here's the thing…" he started to sweat rapidly, not going unnoticed by Saito.

"She's not here, is she?" Saito guessed.

"Captain Jeanne disappeared a week ago. I sent our best messengers on it, but they haven't reported back anything yet."

Suddenly, someone barged in through the door. It was the messenger "Captain Jeanne has been arrested!' the messenger yelled.

Everyone in the guild gasped in shock. Saito, on the other hand, started walking over to the door "Where is the prison? I'm getting her out of there" he sternly asked.

"You're going to break her out?" Eliot asked, astonished "If you would do this for a total stranger, imagine what you'd do for a friend."

Saito shrugged "Doing good deeds for strangers is pretty much what I do best," he said simply as he reached for the door.

"Wait," Eliot tossed Saito a small seal. The seal looked just like the sign on the door; a bear inside a blue pentagon "Take this; famous or not, she's unpredictable unless she knows you are an ally."

Saito placed the badge on his shoulder "Thanks," with that, he exited the building.

* * *

><p><strong>Several hours later<strong>

Saito stood atop a tree, looking at the monolithic prison in the distance. The prison was a large, multilayered building, at least 4 or 5 stories tall. A stone fence surrounded the building, five lookout buildings situated around the building like a pentagon. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any search lights, those usually cause the most problems during breakouts. However, from where Saito can see, there were plenty of patrols out on the courtyard, so that's out too. There was also a skylight, but there were several patrols on the roof as well. It confused him that there were guards on the roof, but very few personnel were on the battlements.

"Now, how am I supposed to get in there?" Saito grumbled as he searched for a way in.

"_Look over there,"_

Saito's eyesight turned black, with the guards turning a dark red and a small gold area on the ground. After his eyesight returned to him, Saito leapt from tree to tree, slowly making his way to the glinting, gold mass.

It was a simple, large boulder. However, Saito could feel a gentle draft coming from it. Letting his sight turn black, Saito traced a gold path from the boulder to the prison; it had to be a secret passageway.

'About time I got started,' Saito thought as he pulled out Derflinger.

"H… huh? Whoa!" Derflinger woke with a start as Saito started using him as a crowbar "Partner! What are you doing?" He yelled angrily.

"Shut up," Saito said quietly as he pried the manhole open. He hopped inside, pulling the boulder over him as he did.

"What the hell! It's dark in here!" Derflinger complained "Why are we in here anyway?"

"We're going to break out a potential ally," Saito told him. Using his 'other eyes', he looked around; it was not a simple passageway, but a large network of underground caves. Judging from the man-made quality, as well as making out several unlit torches, Saito guessed that either the prison was built over some sort of ancient tunnel systems like the shrine of Romulus, or that this was an actual part of the prison, knowledge of its existence given only to high members of the council and being virtually unknown to commoners.

Brushing the thought aside, he started navigating the underground caverns, looking for an entrance inside. As he continued on his way, Saito kept walking until he noticed a corpse lying near the wall. Curious, he examined the body "let's see here," he gently grasped the head, taking note of the various bullet holes in the corpse. "Judging from the decay, I'm guessing that the person died some time ago, like around 40 years ago," whoever this person was, judging by the uniform, he was most likely a field operative of the C.I.A. who died in the Vietnam War. 'The poor guy must've been a Templar Spy,' Saito deduced 'he must have ended up here through that strange light and was most likely trapped in this cavern. Through his injuries, he died by bleeding out.' Saito uttered a short prayer "_Yasurakani nemure _(rest in peace)."

After passing on the dead Templar, Saito began searching the corpse for anything that he could use. As he searched, he found a silenced Ingram MAC-10 submachine gun, much to his pleasure. Putting the gun away, he also found four M34 white phosphorus grenades, 4 spare clips for the MAC-10, a zippo lighter and, oddly, a pair of kevlar leg guards used only by bomb squads.

"Hey partner, quick question for ya," Derflinger came out of his sheath "Where exactly do you put all of your weapons?"

"What are you talking about?" Saito asked as he slipped the leg guards over his pants "They're on my person all the time."

"I'm just saying; isn't all that equipment heavy? I mean, you don't seem to be tired in the least. Even more so, I'm pretty sure that some of the stuff you stand on would collapse under your combined weight."

"That's not important. Let's just get to the prison as soon as possible." Saito said as he started walking.

"You're avoiding my question," Derflinger complained "Hey! Listen to me!"

* * *

><p><strong>A bit later, after Derflinger calmed down<strong>

Eventually, Saito made it to a dead end. "Well partner, this route's no good." Derflinger told him "Well, let's just tell them that we tried. Now, let's go home."

"Hold up," Saito knew where he was going; the gold path led to here. Playing on a hunch, he picked up a stray rock and threw it at the wall as hard as he could.

_*CLACK! … Clack… clack…"_

"There's an echo coming from behind this wall; there's definitely something behind there." Saito felt up the wall, looking for a way in "If I'm right, then there should be a secret passageway right around… Here!" the young assassin pushed a brick inwards, making it recede into the wall. Suddenly, the wall drew forward, revealing a secret passageway "See, what did I tell you?"

Derflinger was speechless "H… how did you know that was there?"

"Please, if reading those history books told me anything, it told me that there can be a secret passageway anywhere; you just need to find it." Saito commented as he walked inside.

To his surprise, it did not lead to the metal cells and concrete floors like he was expecting. Instead he was greeted by rows and rows of… bookshelves?

"I'm in a library? This can't be right." The young assassin shook his head "Wait a minute… calm down. Nowadays, prisons have libraries installed either for the use of the prisoners or to store records." He walked around, being wary enough to hide his presence "Well, while I'm here, I might as well search for prison records."

Eventually, after searching bookshelf after bookshelf, he finally found the prison record book "Ah, this is it," he flipped through the pages "Jeanne of the Mercenaries' Guild, cell 3-45, arrested for assault and… rebellion against the nobility?" he checked another prisoner "Christophe von Raelnas, cell 2-14, arrested for treason, rebellion against the nobility… that sounds like the name of a noble," he checked each and every last prisoner. Each prisoner was arrested for different things, but they all had one similar crime; rebellion against the nobility. What's more, the names of many prisoners looked like names nobles would have "Something's not right…" Saito commented as he pocketed the record book, walked over to an unaware guard, and activated his hidden blades.

_*SHTLINK!*_

* * *

><p><strong>A couple minutes later<strong>

Saito, disguised as a guard, looked around; the inside looked like the interior of the Kilmainham Gaol prison in Dublin, minus several iron bars and give or take a couple of floors. He had to give it to the Halkenginians, their craftsmanship was impeccable. Putting his thoughts aside, he used the keys he obtained to open one of the cells. "Excuse me, are you Jeanne?" he asked as he came inside.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" the woman shot back. Taking another look, Jeanne was around a beautiful woman, perhaps a couple years older than him, with long, rugged black hair, dark eyes and quite a large… chest. She wore a blue tunic, black pants and heavy armor. For some strange reason, she resembled of one of the maids at the academy; who was it again?

"Good," Saito quickly removed the armor, revealing his white and red hood. "I'm here to get you out of here."

"…" Jeanne slowly recognized him "Hey, you're the revolutionary that everyone's been talking about," she presented her hand "The name's Jeanne; I'm the leader of the Mercenaries' guild. I wish I could've met you under better circumstances, and not in a prison,"

Saito shook her hand "Yeah… I don't like being called 'revolutionary'; call me Saito."

Jeanne noticed the seal on Saito's shoulder "That seal… wait a minute, you're one of us?"

"Yeah, I was invited by your second in command, Eliot." Saito told her.

Jeanne made a cheered pose "Yes! I knew that Eliot wouldn't let me down! I got one of the most powerful-"

Saito hastily stopped her from talking "Shush, don't try to attract attention to us right now," he sat down "Well, now that we have some time, do you mind if you tell me what you're doing here?"

Jeanne shook her head as she took a seat on the ground "You don't know why this prison was built, do you?"

"Not in the slightest, no." Saito bluntly answered.

"According to some old records; this prison was supposed to hold disgraced nobles; you know, mages who have been dishonored but still have their magic. Those nobles, though dishonored, still come as a threat to the courts because they can exact revenge on the other nobles who have dishonored them. So, in short, they are sent here so the courts can keep an eye on them. They also keep the families of some just nobles here just so they could keep dominion over them." Jeanne glanced at the iron-cast door "Eventually, they started to keep commoner prisoners here too. Nowadays, anyone whom the nobility can't control… well, they're sent here so they don't cause any troubles. Criminals, disgraced nobles, hell… even the influential leaders of some of the guilds pose a threat to them, so now they're on the run."

"…" Hidden under Saito's hood, a look of disgust formed on his face. He knew that the nobility weren't the nicest of people, but to imprison others just so they could keep their superiority… it was disgusting. They were just like the Templar Order; doing whatever they can just so they can get power. Their deeds and their means to do it were so eerily similar, that one could mistake one of the nobles in Halkenginia as a member of the Templar order. "They're not going to get away with this." He growled.

"I thought you might say that," Jeanne smiled "Quick I need a pen and paper. Here's the plan…"

* * *

><p><strong>A few minutes later<strong>

Saito, back in his guard disguise, snooped around and discreetly walked into the supply room. Once there, he quickly removed the armor and started looking for supplies "Ah, here we go," he picked up several spare sets of keys from the shelves. While he was there, he picked up a crowbar, figuring that it would help if any doors were too hard to open normally. 'That should be it,' Saito thought as he walked towards the door.

Before he left, however, he took a glance at the supply room's workbench; a short, slim blade was sitting on the table. Walking over to the workbench, he took out the syringe he obtained earlier, and sat down, a smile on his face.

* * *

><p><strong>Several hours later, back at the Mercenaries' Guild<strong>

Saito walked back into the Mercenaries' guild. He quickly got Eliot's attention "Eliot, I need you to round up as many mercenaries as you can, right now."

Eliot blinked "What's going on? Where's the captain?"

Saito shook his head "She's still in the prison. Look, the point is, we're going to break everyone out of that place." He took out the plan and showed it to him.

Eliot's eyes widened "This plan doesn't seem half bad, it also looks like a plan that Captain Jeanne would make." He stood up "Okay, I'm in." he handed Saito the package he left earlier "You need to deliver this to Captain Jeanne while you're there."

"Can't this wait until later?" Saito asked, somewhat confused with the contents of the package.

"Just give this to her while we're there, would you?" Eliot insisted on giving her the package as he started to rally some of the mercenaries.

"…" Saito hid a smile under his hood as he slung the package over his shoulders "It's about time for the liberation to commence."

* * *

><p><strong>Another few hours later, late at night<strong>

Saito led Eliot and a group of mercenaries back to the boulder. "Alright, this is it," using the crowbar he obtained earlier, Saito pushed the boulder away, revealing an underground cavern. He hopped inside, with the others quickly following. He flicked on the lighter, providing a source of illumination in the dark caverns. He led the mercenaries through the dark labyrinth until they reached the entrance. "Okay, here's the plan," he handed Eliot the keys and turned off the lighter. "You guys wait here while I distract the guards. When you hear an explosion, count down from 20. After you finished counting down, you rush out of here and go free the prisoners. But hurry, the distraction will give you a three minute window, at least." He opened up the secret passageway and walked inside.

Closing the door behind him, Saito quickly made his way to one of the barred windows and took out the crowbar. Removing the bars on the window, he put away the crowbar and climbed outside. Scaling the prison's wall, he climbed up and found himself atop one of the battlements. Eyeing one of the trees nearby the walls, Saito pulled out his crossbow, tied one of the white phosphorus grenades to one of the crossbow bolts, replaced the bolt and took aim.

_*zip!*_

The bolt whizzed through the air for several seconds until it hit the tree in one of its branches.

"_You forgot to pull off the pin."_

"I know that," Saito put away the crossbow and took out his L42A1. Chambering a round, he aimed at the grenade and pulled the trigger.

_*BANG!*_

The bullet pierced through the grenade, causing it to explode and burst into flames. The flames instantly consumed the tree and rapidly advanced towards nearby trees.

Below him, Saito watched as a majority of the guards scrambled outside, trying to stop the forest fire from breaking out any further. The young assassin smirked; the plan worked perfectly. If he was back in his world, this method would've been frowned upon by a couple of his peers for destroying the environment. But, considering that this is a Renaissance-esque world, there were more trees around; something like this wasn't that significantly damaging to the environment.

Shrugging the thought aside, Saito climbed down the battlement and went back inside. There, he watched as the mercenaries worked as fast as they could to liberate the prisoners. Taking out his set of keys, Saito walked over to Jeanne's cell and unlocked it.

Jeanne walked out of her cell "What took so long?" she asked.

"I made a little distraction for the guards," He told her as he handed her the package "Oh and Scarron told me to give this to you."

Jeanne's eyes widened as she opened the package, revealing a large claymore. "I knew I could rely on Scarron to hold my stuff," she said as she flourished her claymore with unexpected ease.

Saito sweatdropped "A sword was in that package the whole time?" he shook his head "You know what, never mind. We have to go right now; the window to get out of here is closing."

"Oh relax," Jeanne leaned backwards "what did you do for a distraction?"

"Start a little forest fire, why?"

"Don't worry, that's going to take them forever." Jeanne laughed "What did you do with the other shift?"

Saito blinked "Other shift?"

"Yeah, they switch guard shifts around this time." Jeanne paused "Wait a minute, if you didn't occupy those guys, then-"

Suddenly, a large horde of guards swarmed the ground floor "What the hell is going on?!" They gasped in horror as they saw the mercenaries free the prisoners they were paid to imprison.

"_Kuso_ (Shit)," Saito activated his hidden gun and fired, killing the one of the guard captains.

Chaos ensued as the mercenaries clashed with the prison guards. The guards had their training, but the mercenaries had much more experience, plus they also fought dirtier than the guards, giving them an unfair advantage. Also, Saito watched as several of the prisoners picked up any discarded weapons and started attacking the guards, finally getting their vengeance against their tormentors.

Jeanne growled "I can't just stand here while my mercenaries fight all by themselves," she leapt off the ledge and joined Eliot in the fight.

"…" Saito stayed on the upper levels, unlocking any cells that weren't unlocked yet. When he was done with that, he entered a supply room and swiped a quiver of crossbow bolts. He pulled out his crossbow once again and fired at guards from above, providing the mercenaries and the prisoners cover fire.

Some time has passed; the battle was still going on, but the mercenaries and the prisoners were gaining the upper hand with their combined numbers. The guards were close to being overwhelmed.

_*flap, flap*_

For a minute, Saito paused and looked at the prison's skylight "What's that sound?"

_*CRASH!*_

Five winged beasts broke through the skylight and descended gracefully onto the ground. Upon closer inspection, however, they appeared to be griffins, complete with an eagle's head and wings, and a lion's body. There also seemed to be armored knights riding them.

One of the riders, who seems to be the leader, got off his mount, and looked around. He had gray hair and a beard, but looked like he was in his late 20s/early 30s. He wore dark blue armor and a feathered cap. For some reason, he made Saito's skin crawl "To all mercenaries and prisoners, I am Viscount Wardes, captain of Her Majesty's Griffin knights. I ask of all of you to surrender right now. I promise that no harm shall come to you if you do. However, if you do not, I cannot promise your safety."

Saito, who was watching from one of the upper floors, used his 'other eyes' as he examined Viscount Wardes. Amongst his allies, all of whom were highlighted red, he was highlighted gold. 'This guy seems like bad news.' Looking down the sights, Saito aimed his crossbow at Wardes and pulled the trigger.

_*ZIP!*_

As the bolt flew through the air, Wardes took notice and sidestepped, letting the crossbow bolt harmlessly whiz past his head. He looked at Saito and gave a smug grin "So, the ringleader of this breakout shows himself at last." His lieutenants aimed their staff-swords at Saito, but he called them off "You must be the criminal that everyone's been talking about."

"So, what if I am?" Saito reloaded his crossbow and kept it trained on Wardes.

"I have heard about you; not only have you murdered Fouquet the crumbling dirt, but you also assassinated two nobles who were being investigated as members of Reconquista. In the eyes of many, you don't seem like a criminal the nobles see you as."

"What's your point?" Saito kept glaring at Wardes.

"My point is, you are one of the few who can truly stand up to the nobles," Wardes moved his arm, as if to offer a handshake "That is why I am asking of you to join the Griffin Knights."

Saito blinked in surprise "What?"

Jeanne and Eliot also gawked in confusion "What?"

Even Wardes' Griffin knights were dumbstruck "What?"

"I am offering you a place among the Griffin knights," Wardes declared. Unbeknownst to all present, he was assigned by his superiors in Reconquista to get rid of a certain… pest. But, as an act of mercy, Wardes was allowed to try to get this pest on their side, seeing as he could be a great asset should he join their cause.

"…" Saito stayed silent.

"Think about it; you will become a symbol of what commoners are able to become in this world. Other nobles will not be able to do anything to you. You get to serve Her Majesty, the queen, personally. There are no higher honors than that." Wardes stared at Saito "So, what do you say?"

"… Join your forces?" Saito jumped off the ledge and landed square on the ground floor, his crossbow still aimed at Wardes "Serve a queen who is blind to all the tyranny that the nobles bestow upon her people? Become the dog of such a corrupt council? Wear such a gaudy uniform that makes me look like a douchebag?" Saito let out an intense aura of intimidation, one that made most of the guards uncomfortable "No thanks; I'll pass."

"Ah, what a shame," Wardes gave a reptilian-like smile "There is only one other alternative than this deal; death." Wardes unleashed a dot wind spell, knocking the crossbow out of Saito's hand, destroying it.

"Ah, fuck." Saito quickly drew Derflinger and tried slashing Wardes, but was easily blocked by Wardes.

"Ha!" Wardes sneered "You can't beat me! I have learned swordsmanship from the finest swordsmen in Tristain!"

"Yeah, well I learned swordsmanship from my older sister!" Saito stomped on Wardes' boot, making him flinch long enough for the young assassin to give him a staggering sucker punch. "And she fights better than you, old man!"

"Old man!" Wardes raged as he regained his balance "I am only 26 years old!"

"Could've fooled me," Saito shrugged, making everyone, save for the Griffin Knights, laugh at Wardes' expense.

Wardes growled "You think you can beat the Captain of the Griffin Knights?" he cast a line wind spell "Rising gale!" a huge burst of wind came from Wardes' staff, launching Saito into the air and through the skylight. Getting back on his Griffin, he ordered the other Griffin knights to attack before giving chase.

* * *

><p><strong>Up at the roof<strong>

"U-uh…" Saito groggily got up as he looked around "Whoa…" the 'little' forest fire he started earlier has spread rapidly and surrounded the prison. Beneath the burning trees, the first shift of prison guards was still trying in vain to put out the fire. He coughed; the smoke from the fire was suffocating. He just needed to bear with it until he got out of there.

As he stood in thought, Wardes emerged from the skylight "You're cornered; there's nowhere for you to run."

"Sure, like there's anywhere to run up here." Saito said sarcastically, Derflinger still in his hand.

"Funny thing; I was curious about you when you murdered Fouquet the Crumbling dirt." Wardes told him "According to reports, you wear what looks like the runes of the Gandalfr on your left hand."

Saito tensed as he gripped Derflinger more tightly "How did you know that?"

"I'm what you'd call a scholar," Wardes folded his arms, his staff still in his arms "Pity you have to die, Gandalfr; you would've made a valuable asset to Tristain's forces."

"My loyalty is not to one country; it is to those who suffer to make men free." A slight pang of pain entered Saito's head before disappearing. He drew his USP and took a combat stance.

Wardes flourished his staff before pointing it at Saito "_En garde _(On your guard)!"

Saito charged at Wardes, dragging Derflinger along the roof as he did. He tried slashing Wardes, but was easily blocked by him, the clashing of metal on metal sending sparks flying everywhere "If you think that's going to work again, you're sorely mistaken." He effortlessly pushed the young assassin back "I thought that you were supposed to be tougher than this, Gandalfr."

"Grr…" Saito growled before bolting towards Wardes. As he came within arm's reach, he flipped over Wardes, inconspicuously activating a WP grenade, before dashing away.

"I'm sorry, but were you supposed to do something?" Wardes taunted.

_*Clankity… clank… clank…*_

The WP grenade dropped to the ground as it spewed its white smoke everywhere.

"Oh, I am supposed to be afraid of white smoke?" Wardes jeered.

"You should be," Saito opened his lighter and gave it a quick flick "_Sayonara_ (goodbye)." He said as the small flame came in contact with the smoke, immediately igniting it. Wardes could only stare in shock as the white smoke immediately turned into flames, completely engulfing him. As Wardes started burning, Saito kicked the Griffin knight down the skylight, revealing him to the remaining guards, mercenaries and prisoners below.

Saito jumped down, ignoring the stares of shock from the guards. The idea of a mere commoner defeating the leader of the esteemed Griffin Knights was unheard of. Saito stomped on Wardes' burned body and aimed his USP at him "Tell your soldiers to stand down," Saito bellowed, no emotion present in his voice.

"W… why should I?" Wardes said weakly. 'Damn it…' If he hadn't been caught off guard, this wouldn't be happening. It should be the Gandalfr at his mercy, not the other way around. The 2nd degree burns from the Gandalfr's surprise attack weren't helping either.

"You're not in a position to negotiate." Saito stomped on Wardes even harder.

"Gah!" Wardes writhed in pain. He glanced at the guards and his Griffin Knights; his apparent defeat at the hands of Saito has greatly lowered their morale. He sighed in defeat "I know when I am defeated. All knights, stand down." He watched as the guards and the Griffin Knights dropped their weapons and raised their hands in surrender.

"Good boy." Saito said as the mercenaries proceeded to tie up the guards.

"You know you're not going to get away with this." Wardes told him as Saito bound and gagged him.

"I probably am," Saito smirked as he finished tying him up.

"I'm just wondering, why didn't you kill me?" The Griffin knight captain asked.

"I came here to liberate the prisoners; I didn't come here to kill you." Saito got up and cleaned his hands with a rag "The ability to take one's life is power in itself. Like other kinds of power, too much of it can permanently corrupt who they once were. I made a vow never to give in to the darkness inside my heart."

"Spoken like a true noble." Wardes laughed "We shall definitely cross paths again. And when that time comes, you shall be the one tasting defeat in the gallows of Tristain."

"… I'll be waiting." Watching as Jeanne and Eliot led everyone out, Saito joined them as they conclusively left the hated prison.

As they left the prison, Jeanne gave him a nudge "That was one of our greatest exploits ever. I heard you were good, but to defeat the Captain of the Griffin Knights, that is some accolade to have under your belt."

Saito shrugged "He was a worthy adversary. If only he didn't make the mistake of getting caught off guard." He looked up at the sky "It's getting late, I got to go." Giving them a quick wave goodbye, he ran into the burning forest and disappeared into the night.

* * *

><p><strong>A few hours later, back at the Tristain Magical Academy<strong>

"_You should've killed that man."_

"… Beg pardon?" Saito folded his arms, somewhat confused.

"_I saw the evil in that man's heart. It would have been less troubling for you if you killed him."_

Saito, somewhat ignoring the lecture, glanced to his left; Guiche and Montmorency were having a little moonlit dinner in the distance.

"There you are!" A voice screamed. He turned around; it was Louise, her face red with anger "Where the HELL have you been, you stupid dog?!"

Saito groaned "Look, I am already getting a lecture. I don't need you to keep yelling at me for doing absolutely nothing. Just get some shut eye, alright?"

"You Have NO respect for me do you?" she shrieked "You can't just come and go as you please. Nor can you leave me hanging for my life on a runaway horse!"

Saito rolled his eyes as he walked over to Guiche and Montmorency's table "You don't mind if I take this, do you?" he swiped Guiche's drink and downed it in one gulp.

"Eek!" Montmorency squeaked in horror. Saito took notice, but ignored it.

"What, it's not like this is going to make me pass-" it was all Saito was able to say before he collapsed, unconscious.

Louise, Guiche, and Montmorency stared in shock "Seriously? He passes out after _one _drink?"

Montmorency had a look of panic on her face "W… we should really get going, shouldn't we Guiche?" she grabbed Guiche by the sleeve and dragged him away.

As they walked away, Saito slowly got to his feet "…"

"Oh now you wake up, you dog!" Louise growled, anger present in his voice "Now, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"I- I… I'm sorry," Saito gave Louise a sincere apology.

"No! That's no excuse-" Louise blinked "Wait, what?" that was the last thing she expected him to say "What did you say?"

"I'm sorry. Look I know that I haven't been the most loyal person in the world, but the truth is…" For the first time since he got here, he removed his hood, revealing pitch black hair, dark blue eyes, and a red blush on his face "I'm in love with you!"

"Eh?" Louise's face turned red with embarrassment "Eh?!"

In the distance, Montmorency watched the two "Oh no… what have I done? This is all my fault…"

* * *

><p><strong>Weapons unlocked!<strong>

**Ingram Mac-10: a .45 ACP submachine gun/ machine pistol developed by Gordon B. Ingram. It was commonly seen in the hands of CIA agents in the Vietnam War. It burns through ammunition very quickly, so Saito has to be careful using it when using on fully automatic. It is currently equipped with a suppressor. Including the 18 rounds in the magazine, he has 138 rounds remaining.**

**M34 WP grenade: a tactical grenade commonly used in the Vietnam War. When used, it expels white phosphorus into the air, which will burn the oxygen, suffocating anyone who gets caught in it. If used properly, it can also be used as a dangerous incendiary weapon. Keep it away from and/or utilize it against fire mages and/or musketeers.**

**On hand: 2/4**

**Poison blade: a variant of the hidden blade. Instead of killing the target by stabbing, it injects them with a poison that will slowly kill them with a poison. It utilizes a primitive anesthetic that was recently developed by healers to numb the pain, though in excess, it can be used as a potent poison.**

**Poison remaining: 100%**

* * *

><p><strong>Items obtained!<strong>

**Mercenaries' guild seal: a seal that proves that you are a member of the Mercenaries' guild. Saito obtained this from Eliot so he could be recognized by Jeanne. Fellow members will help out Saito in times of distress and vice versa.**

**Lighter: a zippo lighter. It can work as a simple light source/ fire starter. It has a chrome finish.**

**Kevlar leg padding: Some leg padding made of an old type of kevlar. It appears to be custom made, as evident in some of the stitching. Though crude in appearance, the padding will protect Saito's legs if he is shot. It, disturbingly, looks like it was made from salvaged bomb squad armor.**

**Health: *****

**Resistance: ******** (unbreakable)**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Did you ever wonder how Ezio or Altair is able to carry all their equipment, even at their advanced age? It's even worse for Saito's case; using well aged firearms that are not only heavy, but they could break any second if he hasn't cleaned them yet. Also, here's a bit of trivia: the CIA is actually an intelligence agency owned and used for the benefit of The Templar Order, and to be more specific, Abstergo Industries. And sorry for the cliffhanger, and sorry for not updating, I had a lot of things to do this summer. Anyways, please review.**


	7. Turnabout of the assassin

**Assassin in the Void**

**By psychored1911**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Assassin's Creed or Familiar of Zero**

**Chapter 7: turnabout of the assassin**

* * *

><p><strong>Early in the morning, in Louise's dorm room <strong>

Louise woke up with a start. She sighed in relief "Oh good; that was just a dream." she shook her head "Wow that was weird. I thought that Saito confessed to me, and I also thought that I saw his face- GAH!" she yelled in panic as she fell off her bed.

_*THUD!*_

Louise scrambled back to her feet as she spotted someone unfamiliar sleeping in her bed. Upon second glance, Louise noticed that it was Saito, but since she was unfamiliar with his face, she didn't recognize him. She also noticed several other things about Saito. For one thing, because of his maturity and calm composure, she thought for sure that he was much older than he really is. But the sight of him in deep sleep, projected him with such youth, that he seemed to be much younger; he seemed to be around her age, perhaps even a bit younger.

As she stared at him, Saito woke up with a yawn. He took a quick look at Louise "Good morning Louise," Saito gave her a cheerful smile.

Louise just stared at him "What the hell were you doing in my bed?"

"Oh, umm…" Saito shyly turned around, trying in vain to hide his blushing face "You looked so cold when you were sleeping… so…" Saito's blush grew "I tried to warm you up…"

"…" Louise's face grew warmer. She did notice that she got warmer all of a sudden last night "You didn't do _those _types of thing to me, did you?"

Saito shook his head "No, of course not! I would save _that _for after our marriage, don't you think?" he gave

Louise sighed "Look, I think there's something wrong with your head. I'm pretty sure that you would never say anything like that."

Saito tilted his head in confusion "What do you mean? I honestly love you. I would never kid about something like that!"

Louise facepalmed herself "You know what, never mind." She puts on her uniform as a light bulb (or a lantern?) lit up in her head. She turned to face him "How loyal are you to me?"

"I am forever loyal to you, my love." Saito got on his knees "I will do anything for you."

"Well then…" Louise hid a sinister smile "I want you to tell me some of your deepest secrets…"

Saito paled before blushing "D… do I have to tell you?"

"Only if you love me~," Louise said with a faux seductive tone.

Saito's face turned redder "Okay, I'll tell you," He took a deep breath and said "I… I want to _*censored* _you in front of all your classmates in school."

Blood immediately rushed to Louise's face "Too much info! Way too much info!" Louise yelled in disgust, trying in vain to hide her blush "You know what, never mind; just bring me down to the courtyard for my morning tea."

"Of course my love," Saito quickly picked up Louise and carried her on his back.

'Hmm, maybe I could get used to this,' Louise thought. That thought faded quickly as she noticed that Saito was walking towards the window instead of the door "W… where are we going?" she nervously asked.

"We're taking the express way down." Saito said excitedly as he climbed out of the window and leapt out, with Louise in tow.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Louise screamed as both she and Saito plummeted down and landed in the pile of leaves below.

Saito emerged from the pile of leaves "See, I told you that was the fastest way down." He said cheerfully.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Louise kept screaming, unaware that she safely landed on the ground.

Saito gently shook Louise "Louise, calm down. You're safe." Louise slapped Saito right across the face "Okay, I probably deserved that…"

"Deserved that!" Louise screamed "You deserve a fate worse than death for giving me such a heart attack! Now get out of my sight!"

"But-"

"OUT OF MY SIGHT!" Saito quickly ran off, leaving Louise alone to herself.

* * *

><p><strong>Ten minutes later, in Austri Courtyard<strong>

Siesta watched as a visibly shaken Louise limp towards one of the empty tables "Miss Valliere, are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

Louise just glared at her "Alright? Alright?! I practically plummeted from at least 30 meters from my room and into a pile of leaves. I literally saw my life flash before my eyes, and you're asking me if I'm alright?!" Louise screeched.

Siesta took a step back "I'm sorry, I was just asking." She gave Louise a small cup of tea "why were you falling from your room anyway?"

"Because, my familiar believed it was a good idea that jumping was the express way down," Louise grumbled.

Siesta took a seat with Louise "Tell me what happened," She said in a motherly tone.

* * *

><p><strong>A couple minutes later<strong>

Siesta listened intently to what Louise had to say "So, you're telling me that he started acting all lovey-dovey towards you after he collapsed?"

Louise nodded glumly "Yes, I don't know why he had the sudden change in heart."

Siesta thought about it for a moment "Shouldn't this be a good thing?"

Louise blinked "What are you talking about?"

"Well, he doesn't sound as violent as he used to," Siesta told her "That and maybe he'll even be nicer having him around."

"What do you mean?"

Before Siesta could answer, Saito approached the two, holding a large bouquet of flowers in his hand. He set the bouquet in front of Louise "Louise, I am sorry that I did that to you. Will you please forgive me?" he asked, true sorrow and regret in his eyes.

"…" Louise blushed as Saito gave her a puppy dog-like face "… Well, I guess I can overlook it just this once…"

Saito smiled "Thank you!" he kissed Louise on the cheek before going on his way.

Siesta stared at Louise "Who was that? I have never seen that guy before. Is he a student?"

Louise facepalmed herself; was he really that unrecognizable without his hood? "That was Saito."

Siesta blinked "That was Saito?" she glanced towards Saito's direction "Huh, so that's what he looked like under his hood."

"I know, it surprised me too," Louise replied. "Honestly, I pictured him being a blonde."

As they talked, Montmorency approached the two "Umm, Louise? I need to talk to you, in private please." She said as she took Louise and brought her to her room.

* * *

><p><strong>A bit later, in Montmorency's room<strong>

"A love potion?!" Louise yelled in surprise.

"Shush, keep it down." Montmorency shut her up "Well, it… it… it's all Guiche's fault!"

"What?" Guiche, who was apparently eavesdropping, suddenly barged in the room "What did I have to do with Saito's sudden lovesickness?"

"If you hadn't been so unfaithful to me, I wouldn't have been compelled to create the love potion in the first place!" Montmorency complained.

"Will both of you just shut up!" Louise chastised the both of them "Tell me how you are going to fix this!"

"W… well…" Montmorency thought about it for a moment "The best way is to let the potion run its course."

"And how long will that last?" Louise asked.

"Umm… about a year, two perhaps?" Montmorency shrugged.

"A year?" Louise yelled in outrage "You want me to put with that for a year?"

"And you wanted to place that into me?" Guiche backed in astonishment. "I never knew that my beautiful Montmorency could be so jealous to do something so scandalous!"

Montmorency blushed "I did not do it just to get your attention!" before she could get distracted any further, she turned to Louise "Just allow the potion to run its course. It will eventually wear off, eventually."

* * *

><p><strong>Sometime later, at the dormitory<strong>

"Let it run its course," Louise muttered as she slowly walked to her room "How am I supposed to put up with that for a year?" she said querulously as she entered her room.

As she entered the room, Louise then doubled back in surprise. In her room, Saito, waiting for her like a puppy dog, bowed "Welcome back, master!" he said cheerfully.

Louise just stood there, dumbfounded "What the hell?" she then looked around her room, it was completely clean; all her laundry had been washed and neatly folded, her room had been cleaned and reorganized, and that everything had been fixed to perfection. She stared at him "Did you do all this?"

Saito smiled "Of course, I wanted to make you happy." He got up and gave Louise a gentle kiss "I'll do anything for you."

Louise sighed; she could get used to this, though her morals told her otherwise "Look, Saito, this may sound weird, but Montmorency drugged you with a love potion. You don't really mean what you are saying."

The Japanese assassin shook his head "I'm telling the truth! No potion can imitate the feelings I have for you."

Louise shook her head again "No, that's not it: look, I have a fiancée. I can't love you." She told him.

Saito thought about it for a moment "Don't worry; I'll be a great #2! I'll make sure not to bother your husband about it!" he declared in a far too cheerful tone.

Louise just stared at him, a look of disgust on her face "There's so many things wrong with what you just said that- you know what, forget it, just NO. I'm trying to tell you that you're under the spell of a potion! Snap out of it for Founder's sake!"

Trying to avoid the subject, Saito brought a new subject to light "There's something that is bothering you. Is there something wrong?" he said gently, sympathy in his voice.

Louise flinched "What are you saying, you stupid dog?" she tried to punch him, but he simply avoided it.

"It is clear as day that something is on your mind." Saito slowly wrapped his arms around Louise, giving her a warm, firm hug. "Just let it all out. You can trust your lover."

She didn't know why, but Louise felt oddly comfortable around him right now. It was as if all along, there was a warm heart in the cold, sentient being that she called a familiar. Going against her better judgment, she eased up and let all her worries out "Well, ever since I was born, I was always taught "The Rule of Steel" by my mother. Through this rule, she expects me to show discipline and become the very best. My mother and father were both powerful mages back in their day. Both of my elder sisters were prodigies in magic. And me? I can't even achieve the simplest of spells. I'm always a Zero when compared to them. Always being compared to my sisters, being put down; it just gets to me." Tears fell from Louise's eyes, the trauma and negative energy gradually flowing out of her.

Saito, on the other hand, hugged Louise a bit more tightly "I know how you feel."

Louise slowly turned her face towards Saito's "Huh?"

"When I was younger, I was always being compared to my older sister." Saito let out a quiet snicker "She was always regarded as a genius, be it by the Order or by my family. Anything I can do, she can do far better and in a fraction of the time. I love her and all, but it gets tiring to always be compared to her, you know?"

Louise nodded gently "Having older siblings suck." The two of them laughed. Louise felt comfortable around Saito. The both of them had something in common; they were both inferior to their siblings in every way. The thought disturbed her, however, that there was someone who was an even more efficient killing machine than Saito, but she didn't care about that right now. For once, she actually had someone to relate to. It was at that moment, she realized that he said something that struck her curiosity: namely the word "Order". "Order? What Order?"

Saito flinched "Um…" he stammered nervously, raising Louise's suspicion.

Louise raised a brow "Well, I'm waiting…"

"That doesn't matter…" Saito ignored her question. Sure, he was in love with her, but he still needed to keep the Order a secret. "What does matter is that no matter what your family might think of you, I will always love you, no matter what, I promise."

"…" Louise felt the blood rush to her face. She has never heard anyone say anything so nice to her. Even though these feelings of his are false, she might even be falling for him at this point. Ever so slowly, she slowly inched her face closer and closer to Saito's. She was about to kiss him when suddenly, Saito grabbed her and pushed her down.

_*BANG!*_

"Get down!" he said as a bullet pierced through the window and whizzed past where their heads once were. Instinctively, Saito picked up his L42A1, which was leaning on the wall, and went over to the window. Whoever was out there, trying to snipe them, was gone.

Louise, visibly shaken, slowly asked "W… what the hell was that?"

"Seems like someone was trying to kill us," Saito commented. With his actions, he knows that he has made an enemy out of a certain rebel faction.

"K… kill us?" Louise knew that because of her father's standing as duke, there would be many who would be after her father's position. But, for someone to actually have the audacity to try and kill his daughter just to get to him, it was unheard of.

"They won't if I have anything to say about it." Saito put a hand on her shoulder "Don't worry; I'll keep you safe, I promise."

* * *

><p><strong>A couple of days later<strong>

Louise, for the most part, grew annoyed with Saito's antics; if he wasn't clinging onto her 24/7, he was setting traps around the school, causing trouble to the few remaining teachers and students.

Eventually, she had enough and charged into Montmorency's room "Hey Montague!" she yelled as she barged the room.

Montmorency, who was talking to Guiche prior to Louise's sudden intrusion, jumped back a bit "Don't call me Mont-"

"Whatever!" Louise retorted "I want you to fix Saito right now!" she ordered, unaware that Saito was quietly approaching her from behind.

Montmorency, taking notice of Saito, slowly tried to make Louise calm down "Louise, calm down for a second…"

"No! I won't calm down!" Louise slammed her hands onto Montmorency's desk "I have been pestered to and from because of Saito's antics. I want you to stop this nonsense of his once and for all! Do you even how annoying he gets when he clings onto me? I'm telling you, it gets really annoying!"

Guiche, who also acknowledged Saito's presence, tried to calm her down as well "Louise, please calm down, or at least turn around."

"And that's not all!" Louise couldn't stop now; she was on a roll "Everywhere I step, I get caught in some trap he set to catch someone that tried to kill us some days ago."

"Louise…" Both Montmorency and Guiche tried to stop her at this point.

"And if he takes me by surprise with a kiss one more time, by Founder's name I'm going to explode!" Louise screamed.

_*drip… drip…*_

Louise turned around, seeing tears flowing out of Saito's dark blue eyes "W-well… I-if that's how you really feel about me, then I will stop bothering you any further from now on." With tears still dripping out of his eyes, Saito ran away and fled.

Almost immediately, a heavy pang of guilt entered Louise as she chased after Saito. She couldn't believe that she said all those nasty things about him. Sure, he might have been so clingy and caused all sort of problems everywhere, but he only did so just to protect her. Not only that, it wasn't truly his fault, it was the potion's. She stopped and looked around, her eyes darting around "Saito! Come back! I'm sorry!"

As she ran around the school, Saito hid in a tree, quietly crying to himself "I can't believe that she would say all those things about me. I did everything for her, but she turned me down…" Saito sobbed "Why is it that even after all this, I'm still in love with her?"

"_Get a hold of yourself!"_

"Gah!" Saito jumped in surprise. He then recognized the voice and calmed down "Oh it's you. I haven't heard from you in a while."

"_Calm down, child. Look at yourself; you're a shadow of who you once were!"_

Saito pouted like a spoiled child; he was not in the mood for a lecture. Trying his best to ignore _his_ words, Saito dragged himself to the kitchen, swiped a bottle of wine, and slumped himself in one of the courtyards. Before he could take a swig, he spotted something white on the ground. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, he stood up and picked it up. To his shock, it was a bottle of Ibuprofen, an Abstergo brand bottle of Ibuprofen to be exact 'what the hell is this doing here?' he looked around cautiously before sitting down. 'Oh well, I'll worry about it later.' Taking a short sip of the wine, he let the alcohol run its course as he almost instantly passed out.

* * *

><p><strong>4 hours later<strong>

Whether it has been the effects of alcohol or just by "divine" intervention, it suddenly came to him. He wasn't being himself because he wasn't the one in control. He was under the influence of a potion. He got to his feet "It all makes sense now…" he shook his head in disgust; he couldn't believe the stuff that he had said and done under the influence. Calming himself down, he slowly deduced what had happened "Okay, I turned into "that" after I drank that wine. That's probably where the drug was slipped. Since Guiche and Louise don't have the balls to do it, I assume that Montmorency done it." Saito pulled out his USP and chambered a bullet "I'm gonna give that bitch a piece of my mind!"

"_Hold on child! You still need her help!"_

"Her help?" Saito yelled, outraged "she practically poisoned me, and you want me to get her help?"

"_You are still under the influence of the potion. All I did was make you aware of your actions. You must get it out of your system, and she is the only one who can help you."_

"…" Saito reluctantly holstered his USP "… fine," he said as he slowly walked towards Montmorency's room.

Once there, he kicked down Montmorency's door "Get up!" he dragged Montmorency out of her bed, grabbed her by the collar, and punched her in the gut "you did this to me!"

"W… Wha!?" Montmorency, still half asleep, barely managed before Saito punched her again "W… what are you talking about?"

Saito brought her to eye level, his cold glare chilling her to the bone "You are the only one with the means and the drive to create a love potion. You were the one who started this, now you are going to finish it!"

"Like I told Louise, you must let it run its course." Montmorency told him, still visibly shaken.

Saito sighed; it is going to forever to convince her. Instead, he pulled out his F-S knife and placed it to her neck "Let me rephrase myself; you are going to cure me, whether you want to or not."

As this exchange went along, Louise and Guiche hastily entered the room. Guiche was the first to overreact "How dare you place a knife to my Montmorency's neck!" he pulled out his wand and slowly chanted a spell.

Saito, not in the mood, picked up a nearby textbook and threw it at Guiche's head.

_*THUD!*_

As Guiche fell unconscious, Saito's glare intensified "Now, you are going to fix me, or unlike him, I will make sure that when you go down, you go down for good."

Montmorency, scared out of her wits end, finally gave in "Fine, you win. I'll help you."

Saito eased up a bit, but only a bit "Good, you nobles aren't as stupid as I thought you were." He put away his F-S knife. "How are you going to get it out of my system?"

"The only known way to cure an aphrodisiac is to use a tear of the water spirit." Montmorency told him. "However, it can only be obtained at Ragdorian Lake, and even if we go there, there's no guarantee that we will get it."

"A chance is still a chance, isn't it?" Saito folded his arms "If there is even a slight chance of getting this crap out of my system, I'll take it."

* * *

><p><strong>The next day<strong>

The four of them have made preparations for the journey ahead. Only Saito and Montmorency were supposed to go, but Louise and Guiche tagged along for reasons unknown to Saito.

"What exactly are you guys doing here?" Saito asked as he avoided eye contact with Louise; the effects of the potion were still influencing him.

"I am not going to let you hurt my Montmorency," Guiche arrogantly announced.

"I'm making sure that she actually does cure you." Louise also wanted to make sure that Saito returned to normal. She would be much happier that Saito would ignore her rather than repeatedly kiss and possibly rape her.

"… I want to make out-" Saito hastily covered his mouth as he and Louise started to blush.

Before any other incident happened, however, they had made it to Ragdorian Lake. Much to their surprise, the lake seemed to have submerged the entire countryside. "What the hell happened here?" Saito stared at the flooded landscape.

"I don't know," Montmorency answered him "When I was here as a child, the water wasn't as close to here."

As they stood before the water, an unfamiliar voice entered Saito's head.

"_Come closer, Gandalfr…" _

Seeing with his other eyes, he noticed the lake had glowed a bright blue. Feeling a bit at ease, Saito took a step forward.

"_Closer…"_

Saito took another step towards Ragdorian Lake.

"_Closer…"_

Saito took another step,his feet practically touching the water. As his feet met the lakeshore, a giant hand of water rose from the lake. Alerted, Saito reached for his USP, but he, as well as the rest of the group, could only watch as it grabbed him and dragged him towards the depths of the lake.

* * *

><p><strong>At the bottom of the lake<strong>

Saito flailed helplessly as he descended down the lake.

"_Calm down, child,"_ Saito opened his eyes; some of the water morphed and took the shape of a young woman_ "I am the spirit of Ragdorian Lake." _The spirit introduced herself _"It is a pleasure to meet the descendant of Gandalfr."_

"…Pleased to meet you too…"Saito said politely as he stood up. Even though she took a calm demeanor, Saito sensed that he was in the presence of a powerful being. Better to play it safe rather than risk her wrath. "So, how exactly are you going to get this potion out of my system?"

"_Like this," _The water spirit slowly walked over to Saito and brought her face close to his, giving him a deep kiss.

"!" Saito flinched as the water spirit kissed him. As she kissed him, he felt a substance slowly secrete out of his body. After some time, the two of them parted, with Saito showing a clearly surprised look on his face "What the hell was that?"

The Water Spirit did not answer, turning away as if to hide a blush, and instead showed him a dark, amorphous blob _"This is the toxin that has been plaguing your mind. What do thou want me to do with it?"_

"Destroy it, please. That thing has caused me enough trouble." Saito asked politely.

"_Of course," _The toxin started to bubble and boil, turning into gas bubbles and rose to the surface. The water spirit then stared at Saito _"I expect to be compensated for this."_

"…" Saito folded his arms "What do you need me to do?"

"_There is a small group of mages who are out to destroy me. Eliminate them. They are hiding somewhere in these nearby forests."_

"Just get me back up to the surface in one piece, and consider them _assassinated_." Saito pulled out his USP and expertly spun it around, a cocky grin on his face.

* * *

><p><strong>Moments later<strong>

Saito slowly rose and climbed out of the lake and onto the shoreline. He turned around; on the other side of the Lake, he spotted Louise, Guiche, and Montmorency, who not only were unaware that Saito had gotten out of the lake, but still panicking that the Water Spirit had taken him asunder. "Those guys should be fine. I mean how much trouble could they get into?" he thought as he climbed a tree and leapt from one branch to another, making his way into the forest.

Navigating through the thick woods, he eventually spotted two armed mages heading towards the Ragdorian Lake. Judging from their figures, Saito guessed that they were teenage girls, albeit one was younger than the other due to height difference.

"Remind me what we're doing here?" the taller mage asked the shorter one.

"Investigate Ragdorian Lake." Was the shorter mage's sole answer.

To Saito's confusion, the mages' voices sounded very familiar to him. Using his other eyes, the two mages were highlighted in a bright golden color. Shrugging to himself, he got down and slowly approached the two from behind, activating his hidden blades.

_*click*_

The shorter mage immediately turned around and chanted a spell "Windy icicle." A flurry of razor sharp icicles formed and flew towards Saito.

"Oh shit!" He quickly dodged out of the way and shot the mage's staff with the hidden gun, effectively disarming her.

"Tabitha!" The other mage pulled out her wand and started chanting a spell. Unfaltering, Saito spun around, drew his F-S knife, and threw it at the mages wand.

_*CHEK!*_

The F-S knife flew and hit the wand dead center as it severed the wand in half and impaled itself into a nearby tree.

"I cannot allow anyone to harm the water spirit." Saito declared coldly, drawing his USP "Now hands where I can see them!"

The taller mage complied, but the shorter one pointed at him and said something completely unrelated to the situation at hand; "Thought you were blonde."

Saito blinked "Beg pardon?"

The smaller mage took off her hood, revealing her short, light blue hair and bespectacled eyes. Tabitha then calmly walked over to Saito and pulled his hood back up "Saito."

"Hold on," the taller mage took off her own hood, revealing long, red hair. "You mean to tell me, you're darling?!" Kirche couldn't believe it, the raven-haired young man standing in front of her was actually the mysterious familiar of Zero. Saito, personally, considered himself of having average, Japanese features, perhaps a bit handsome, but to Kirche, his appearance was different, exotic even, which made him much more alluring and tantalizing to her.

Saito blinked "Kirche? Tabitha?" Saito holstered his USP "What are you guys doing here?"

"We could ask you the same thing," Kirche told him, picking up Tabitha's staff and handing it back to her "We were supposed to investigate why Ragdorian Lake has risen to these high levels. What about you?"

"… Its better you don't know," Saito answered, the memories of the love potion in the back of his mind "We should get going. I remember leaving the others back by the shoreline. Follow me."

* * *

><p><strong>A couple minutes later<strong>

Saito, Kirche, and Tabitha slowly walked back to where Louise, Guiche and Montmorency were waiting. Suddenly, Saito stopped in his tracks "hold on," He pulled the two back and ducked behind a tree. He silently observed the scene; a small group of mercenaries, most likely Reconquista agents, were holding Louise, Guiche, and Montmorency at gunpoint. Saito, hiding in the shadows, assessed each and every one of his targets 'Let's see, they must have caught the group by surprise. There are at least 6 of them, 3 musketeers and 3 mages.' One of them was different than the others, wearing a distinct purple jacket adorned with the Reconquista emblem 'that guy must be the leader, he'll be the one. Hmph, 6 against 1, too easy.' He then turned to Kirche and Tabitha "You guys stay here." He ordered the two to stay put as he climbed up the tree and disappeared from sight.

By the shoreline, two of the Reconquista agents bulled back the hammer on their flintlock muskets "What do you want us to do with them?" they gave Guiche and Montmorency a swift kick, forcing them to the ground.

The Reconquista leader pulled out his wand "We were told to capture the Valliere girl," he tugged harshly on Louise's pink hair "You can get rid of those two. Kill them."

The two Reconquista agents smiled evilly "With pleasure," they aimed their muskets at them, ready for the kill, when-

_*SHTLINK!*_

The two agents fell to the ground, dead. Saito emerged from behind them, his hidden blades stained with their blood. Impulsively, the other three agents pulled out their weapons and encircled him. The leader gave a smug grin "Ah, I have heard of you. You are the one who has been killing all of our spies. Give up, you are outnumbered."

"I may be outnumbered," Saito retracted his hidden blades "But you're clearly outmatched." He quickly kicked up a flintlock from the fallen agent and held it like a spear. He then spun it around at the stock, its bayonet slashing the necks of the other three agents. Not losing his momentum, he aimed the flintlock at the leader's leg and fired.

_*BANG!*_

The lead bullet shattered the leader's knee upon impact, forcing him to the ground.

Saito casually tossed the musket away as he kicked the Reconquista leader to the ground. "Who sent you?"

"W… why the hell should I tell you?" The Reconquista leader muttered weakly.

Saito stomped on the leader's wounded leg "Were you the ones who tried to kill us earlier?"

"Y… yes…" the leader writhed in pain "We were given two orders; eliminate you and kidnap the Valliere girl. When we followed you here, we joined with the group that was to eliminate the water spirit, hoping to kill 3 birds with 1 stone."

"… Why kidnap Louise?" Saito demanded "What role does she have to play in this?"

"I… I don't know… Master Sheffield never told us…"

Saito tensed "Who is Master Sheffield?" he sternly asked.

The leader spat in his face "Go to hell!"

Saito wiped the spit off his face, contempt in his eyes. He had extracted every bit of information from the leader. He drove his hidden blade all the way into target before laying the body down gently and closing its eyes "_Yasurakani nemure_ (rest in peace)."

After laying the body to rest, he discreetly took the corpse's wallet before helping up Guiche and Montmorency "You guys alright?"

"Yes… somehow…" Montmorency stood up, notably shaken.

"It's good that you came when you did," Guiche sighed "Who knows what would've happened if you hadn't come."

Louise folded her arms, a confused look "Hold on, weren't you supposed to be down at the bottom of the lake?"

"You guys didn't see me come out?" Saito stretched his arms, small amounts of water still dripping out of his hoodie "I got out on the other side of the lake. You guys won't believe who I met." He signaled Kirche and Tabitha to come closer.

Louise's eyes widened "What are those two doing here?"

"We were supposed to investigate why Ragdorian Lake has risen by orders of Tabitha's family." Kirche looked at Tabitha, who merely nodded in agreement.

Saito rubbed his head "You guys can do whatever you want; I have something to report in." He walked into the lakeshore as a giant hand emerged and dragged him in.

* * *

><p><strong>At the deepest depths of the lake<strong>

"I'm not gonna get used to that anytime soon." Saito muttered as the water spirit materialized in front of him.

"_Well done. I see you have eliminated the threat." _ The water spirit rendered a content expression on her face.

"I aim to please." Saito folded his arms, cracking his knuckles. "I do have some questions though,"

"_And those are?"_

"Why was that group trying to destroy you? And why had you raised the water levels?"

"…" the Water Spirit was reluctant to talk _"That group, they had stolen two things from me. One was something personal, my treasured ring, the other… well; the other is a powerful artifact that must be retrieved immediately."_

Saito raised an eyebrow "

"_It was six months ago…"_

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback<strong>

It was a normal, sunny day. The Water Spirit, however, sensed something was off.

_*FWOOOOOOOOOOSH!*_

Suddenly, an area directly north of Ragdorian Lake was consumed in a blindingly bright light. Once the light finally died down, what made up a majority of the northern Ragdorian forests had been completely destroyed, with only a large crater with a small object in the middle left in its wake. Curious, the Water Spirit spread its water to the crater. She gasped _"What is this doing here?!" _the object was a small, spherical object to the untrained eye, but upon closer inspection, it was covered in intricate, complex carvings. Besides that, it emitted an eerie, ominous glow. _"This is one of their technologies. If the humans learn of this, they will cause absolute destruction!" _The Water spirit, thinking it was for the best, enveloped the area with her lake, hiding the object within its waters.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback end<strong>

"_I was foolish to believe that I could hide it forever. That faction had discovered its existence and stolen it along with my ring."_

Saito growled in frustration "Who exactly took the artifact? If they had left anything, we could use that as a lead." He didn't know what it was, but he could take a guess.

"_I do not know, but one of them has dropped this." _A small, white object gradually floated towards Saito as he picked it up "An I.D. card?" his eyes widened; it wasn't just any I.D. card, but an Abstergo Industries I.D. card. It read:

_[Abstergo Logo] ABSTERGO INDUSTRIES_

_Employee #: OP005-0897-C_

_Name: Sheffield, Kristiina_

_Nationality: Finnish_

_DOB:1973.07.23_

_Position: Operations, New World; Field Agent_

_Security Clearance Level: 50_

_0100110101100001011100110111 0100011001010111001000100000 0101010001100101011011010111 0000011011000110000101110010 0000110100001010_

"_Nandaro? _(what the hell?)" Saito yelled "What the hell are they doing here?"

The Water Spirit tilted her head _"You know of these perpetrators?"_

"I guess you could say that." Saito spat in disgust "Don't worry; I'll get the artifact, and your ring, because this time, it's personal."

The Water Spirit looked at the youth, as if she was seeing a long lost friend _"You remind me so much of the original Gandalfr. You both have that strange charisma."_

"The descendant may resemble the ancestor, but they aren't the same people."

The Water Spirit nodded _"I will see to it that you return the artifact and my ring in one piece. Oh, and before I forget," _the Water Spirit gave Saito a small cruet, filled with a clear, colorless liquid. _"Consider this a down payment, for helping me retrieve my ring. My only request is that you keep the artifact safe and out of their hands."_

Saito made a small smile as he took the vial "I will not let you down."

* * *

><p><strong>A bit later<strong>

Saito emerged from the Lake, completely drenched in water. He removed his hoodie as everyone gathered around him "Before you guys say anything, the damn potion is out of my system." He said apathetically.

Montmorency and Louise sighed in relief, but Kirche raised an eyebrow "What are you guys talking about?" She asked. Saito easily concealed his emotions with a blank expression, but Louise, on the other hand, blushed furiously, remembering all the things that Saito has said and done. This only sparked Kirche's curiosity "What happened? What potion?"

Louise looked like she was going to outburst, but Saito stopped her "It's none of your concern, let's just get out of here." And with that, the group left the lake, not noticing that the lakeshore was slowly receding.

* * *

><p><strong>The next evening, back at the academy<strong>

The group had returned to the academy. Tired from the journey, everyone decided to return to their rooms until morning.

In Louise's room, Saito, who had entered the room first, sat in her desk, deep in thought. Under normal circumstances, he'd be embarrassed out of his mind, but now wasn't the time for that 'So, the Templars' influence has spread to here as well, huh.' Saito sat in deep thought 'Just when I thought I was away from that underground war, only to be dragged back in.' he buried his face in his hands.

Louise then entered her room, closing the door behind her and locking it with a click. "Saito, we need to talk." She took something out of one of her drawers.

"What do you want to-" he was cut off as he barely dodged the end of a whip. He got out of the chair and took a step back "I take it that you're still mad?"

"Oh no…" Louise had a yandere-like expression plastered on her face "'mad' does not even begin to describe my emotions right now." She swiped her horse whip across the floor, chipping away a sliver of wood as it did. "During your time under the influence of the potion, you kissed me repeatedly, caused me a hell of trouble with your antics and claimed that you wanted to _*censored* _me in front of my class."

At this point, Saito didn't want any more mayhem; he had enough trouble to last him a lifetime "Look, if you're so upset, just forget about it. It wasn't really me who said it anyway. It was the potion that made me say that."

"That's no excuse!" Louise charged at Saito, only for him to feint to the side. "You have to take responsibility!" she swiped at him again.

Saito somersaulted backwards and took a dexterous pose "Look, I had a tough week as well; I mean, I fell in love with you for crying out loud. And you must admit, you're a piece of work as well."

Louise fumed "Why you stupid dog!" she pulled out her wand and started to chant a spell. Instinctively, Saito ducked as Louise finished her spell.

_*BOOM!*_

The room was covered in a large cloud of smoke. Taking advantage of the situation, Saito dashed towards Louise and ripped the whip and wand out of her hands, effectively disarming her. But, instead of knocking her into submission like she thought he would, he pointed at the window "You have a guest."

"Huh?" Louise looked at her window; a hooded figure was waiting patiently outside. She opened the window as the figure entered the room.

The figure took off her hood, revealing her short, violet hair "Louise Francoise…" she said coolly.

"P... Princess Henrietta!" Louise bowed, trying to ignore the fact that Saito did not do the same. "What are you doing here so late at night?"

Henrietta gave a solemn expression "I have a request, a very urgent request that I can only disclose to the two of you. I can't ask this of the cardinal, my own mother, nor any of the nobility." She took a seat on the bed as she told her tale "I have decided to marry into the royal family of Germania."

"What?!" Louise was very surprised "Why would you want to marry into a country of barbarians."

Henrietta smiled sadly "There's nothing I can do about it. To ensure the safety of Tristain, we must make alliances with powerful countries such as Germania. A political marriage is the only way to secure that alliance."

"B… But to face such a hardship…" a sorrowful expression formed on Louise's face.

Henrietta shook her head "Don't worry about it. I am perfectly okay with putting my country's needs above my own." She got off the bed and walked towards the window "But before that, I need something done first."

"I'll do anything for you, Henrietta!" Louise boldly declared.

A tear formed on Henrietta's face "I knew I could count on you. I am asking you to retrieve a certain letter I had sent to Prince Wales in Albion. If it gets into the wrong hands, a scandal would occur and the marriage would be called off."

Saito rearranged the facts in his head and came up with a hypothesis "I am guessing that it is a love letter, is it not?"

Henrietta backed up in surprise "Yes, but how did you know?"

"There are very few items that could cause such a scandal other than a love letter." He walked towards the door "and while I'm at it," he nonchalantly opened the door as three figures; to be more precise, Guiche, Kirche, and Tabitha, plopped on the ground.

Louise just stared at them, dumbstruck, before turning red with rage "What the hell are you three doing here?!"

"Uh… Um…" Guiche stammered nervously, obviously taken with Henrietta's beauty.

Because of this, Kirche had to cover for him "We were investigating why that explosion had occurred earlier. Never had we thought that you would me meeting the princess."

Louise turned to Henrietta "Forgive me, your majesty. I will make sure that Saito will dispose of them."

Saito shook his head "Don't get your hopes up; my sense of authority towards you is really low." He replied, much to Louise's chagrin.

"Louise, it's okay." Henrietta calmed Louise down "They are from upper noble upbringings, so I trust that instead of gossiping, they are likely to aid you in this journey."

Guiche immediately saluted "Of course!" I'll do anything for the princess!"

"I'll go too!" Kirche raised her head high in confidence "I'll do anything if it means not getting upstaged by Louise. Besides, I have always wanted to go to Albion."

Tabitha also nodded, quietly saying "don't want them alone."

Henrietta had a grateful expression on her face "Thank you all for helping." She then glanced at Saito "And you, are you willing to help this princess in her plight?" the caged bird that she was, she was completely oblivious to the "crimes" and "heartless assassinations" that the young assassin has done. She didn't realize what kinds of trouble she would be asking for when requesting Saito's help.

Saito folded his arm, a stoic look on his face "I'll do it for 200,000 up front, another 200,000 when this is over, and for every big thing that I've never seen before, that's extra; another grand each. The price is non-negotiable."

Henrietta sighed; that was quite a high price he was asking for. And since he wasn't a native to Tristain, she couldn't force him to work either. "I'll see what I can do about that."

"No way!" Louise yelled "He could buy an entire city and still have much more to spare with that kind of money!"

Saito shrugged "That sounds like a reasonable price if you ask me."

"No it's not!" Louise tried to grab Saito, only for him to dodge. "How is that price reasonable?"

Saito sighed "Fine, how about 50,000 up front, with another 50,000 after I'm done? That's more reasonable than my earlier price, isn't it?"

"Yes, that is a fairer price." Henrietta pulled out her wallet and handed him the 50,000 ecu.

"… Okay, I'm not even going to ask why you have that much money on you in the first place." Saito sweatdropped.

"It's a small price to pay if you ask me. If one acts for my sake without payment, loyalty is questionable." Henrietta then handed Louise a letter as well as a ring "Here, this letter will explain everything to prince Wales. And if he still doesn't believe you were sent by me, this ring will prove it on sight."

Louise gratefully took the letter and the ring "We won't let you down!"

"Thank you. May Founder Brimir give you his blessing." Opening the window, Henrietta put back on her hood and jumped out, levitating herself with magic before disappearing into the night.

Guiche, Kirche, and Tabitha shortly went back to their rooms, preparing for the coming adventure ahead.

Louise placed the ring and the letter on her desk "I expect you to be on your best behavior."

"… Yeah, about that…" Saito picked up a nearby flower vase and threw it at Louise's head, knocking her unconscious.

_*CRASH!*_

* * *

><p><strong>The next morning<strong>

Louise groggily got up, ignoring the pain in her head. She slowly walked over to her desk, only to find the ring and the letter gone. Instead, a small note was left in its place. It read.

_Dear Louise,_

_I have taken the ring and the letter and I am on my way to Albion. Don't worry, I'll get the job done. I also brought Kirche and Tabitha along with me. I ditched you and Guiche because if you guys did tag along, it would probably just end in utter failure. You could take all the credit if you want; I really don't care. _

_ -Saito_

_-P.S. sorry about the vase, it was a cheap imitation anyway._

Louise read the note, utterly speechless. "HE DID WHAT?!"

* * *

><p><strong>Weapon unlocked!<strong>

**Flower Vase: an average, everyday flower vase one can find anywhere. The author usually adds this somewhere in his fics as a joke weapon or to abruptly end one of his chapters, usually both. Saito can use this to immediately knock out an unarmored target, though the sound might give away his position.**

**On hand: 0/1**

* * *

><p><strong>Items obtained!<strong>

**Abstergo brand ibuprofen: a bottle of ibuprofen made and manufactured by Abstergo Industries. The serial number says that it was produced in 2005, but it hasn't expired yet. It is easy to understand; Abstergo made goods are extremely high quality. At least 50% of the ibuprofen is still in the bottle.**

**Tear of the Water Spirit: a part of the water spirit. This rare potion not only can be used to heal powerful mental and physical ailments, it exponentially raises a person's healing factor, which allows them to heal from any injuries and illnesses, even if they were received only seconds ago. Saito was given the blessing of having a tear given to him directly as well as a bottle full of it. He was given quite a lot, actually; enough for three uses. Hmm… maybe this can come in handy sometime in the near future.**

**Effect: [cures any ailment/illness][Revives instantly upon death (will only work once per month)]**

**Uses remaining: 3/3**

**Ruby ring of water: The family treasure of Tristain's royal family. If one holds this, they can be immediately identified as an agent of the Royal family. It lets off an odd, azure glow.**

**Letter to Wales: a letter to Prince Wales that explains the issue regarding a love letter sent a long time ago. Saito must deliver this to Wales at all costs.**

**Abstergo I.D. card: An I.D. card that belongs to Master Templar Kriistina Sheffield. She is one of those behind Reconquista. This item adds to the knowledge that the Templar Order has been established in this world. It gives Saito the chills that there might be even more than just one Templar in Halkenginia.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: If anyone has not realized yet, Assassin's Creed III has come out. I just got my copy a few days ago, and needless to say, it blew my mind. I was a bit delayed due to Hurricane Sandy, but that didn't stop me from getting my own copy. Also, if you don't know what the object that the Water Spirit found, and who is really behind Reconquista, well I'm pretty sure I have made it quite obvious already. Also, try and decode the message I placed. Anyways, please review.**


	8. Revelation from both sides

**Assassin in the Void**

**By psychored1911**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed or Familiar of Zero**

**Chapter 8: revelation from both sides**

* * *

><p><strong>Late that night<strong>

Saito picked up a nearby flower vase and threw it at Louise's head, knocking her unconscious.

_*CRASH!*_

Louise collapsed as Kirche and Tabitha ran back inside the room. Strangely enough, Guiche didn't rush back inside, presumably too preoccupied with his crush on Princess Henrietta.

Kirche and Tabitha looked at Saito, an expression that might as well have said "what the hell?" on their faces.

"… Okay, let's face it; she had that coming to her." Saito shrugged calmly.

Kirche shook her head; though the sight of an unconscious Louise was completely hilarious, it was still quite cruel of him "Really?"

Saito took out a pencil and a piece of paper "Well, here's how I see it; if Louise and Guiche came along with us, not only would they jeopardize the mission, they would probably ruin the trip for you guys. Do you really want them to come with you?"

Kirche and Tabitha paused, staring at each other. He did have a good point on the matter.

"I'll take your silence as "point taken"." Saito, in a rare act of common courtesy, jotted down a quick note explaining his actions "I'll meet you guys in the courtyard once you're done." With that, he walked over to the window and leapt out.

* * *

><p><strong>A couple minutes later, in the courtyard<strong>

Saito quietly read a map of Halkenginia to himself. He pointed at one of the port towns on the map; La Rochelle. "This port town seems like the closest to the academy; we should take this route." He looked up; Kirche and Tabitha walked over to him "You guys ready? We're heading towards La Rochelle. Hold on, I'll go get the horses."

"No need," Tabitha whistled, calling forth her familiar, Sylphid "We'll use this."

"She's right," Kirche added "A wind dragon is much faster than any horse could hope to achieve." She and Tabitha got on Sylphid's back.

Saito looked at Sylphid, then back at Kirche and Tabitha "If you guys say so…" he reluctantly got on Sylphid's back as they headed towards the port town of La Rochelle.

* * *

><p><strong>Hours later<strong>

Getting to La Rochelle from the academy, on average, would normally take 2-3 days at least, but with a wind dragon, the trip took only a fraction of the time, with them arriving at the town only minutes after sunrise.

"Guys, wake up." Saito woke up Kirche and Tabitha, who had fallen asleep on Sylphid's back "We're here." He got off Sylphid and looked around; the port town of La Rochelle looked more like a mountainous settlement rather than a coastal settlement. Yet, the town had an influx of people coming and going. How a place such as this was known as a port town was a mystery to him. He then looked up towards the north; a huge tree, about the size of one of Abstergo's skyscrapers stood in the distance. From what he could see, there were floating ships docked across its many branches, though from that distance he could barely distinguish them as fruit. 'Okay, now I have seen everything.' He motioned to Kirche and Tabitha "come on; we're heading to the harbor."

"What's the rush?" Kirche stretched her limbs, inadvertently showing off her figure to the staring passerby "Everyone knows that Albion is closest to the mainland when the two moons overlap; which is in three days."

Saito gave a confused look "You make it sound like Albion is in the sky rather than in the sea."

"It is; it's quite common knowledge that Albion is known as "The Floating Island"." Kirche said matter-of-factly.

Saito shook his head; this world was too confusing for him "Look, we can either go now and save ourselves the trouble, or we can wait for three days and have Louise and Guiche catch up to us and hear them whine and complain for the rest of the trip. It's your call."

Kirche and Tabitha looked at each other. Saito did have a point; hearing Louise and Guiche whine would probably spoil their entire experience. "Okay, we'll have it your way. Let's go."

A few hours later, at the harbor

Saito, Kirche and Tabitha approached the harbormaster. The harbormaster looked at the group "Ah, how could I help you, young travelers?"

"We want tickets to the next ship to Albion." Saito told him.

A humored look grew on the harbormaster's face "Ha! You must be in jest! Everyone knows that the White Country is closest to Tristain when the two moons overlap. No ship has been scheduled to go to Albion today. The earliest I could get your group to Albion is within three days."

"I don't have three days." Saito frowned.

The harbormaster sighed; noticing the frustrated tone in Saito's voice. "Look, you look like a nice…" he acknowledged the weapons on Saito's person "albeit dangerous young man. Now, I don't want to get on your bad side, but there are no ships that are going to take you to Albion. Unless you can find a wind mage who is at least of triangle class right now, no ships has enough power to get to Albion."

Tabitha stepped up "Allow me…"

"Of course, Tabitha is a triangle wind class mage!" Kirche exclaimed. "She can totally get us to Albion with her abilities."

Saito hid a smile under his hood "With that settled, we'll take three tickets to Albion, plus a cargo hold for the dragon." He pointed at Tabitha's familiar, which was quietly standing behind him.

"I will make sure that you and your familiar are to be accommodated for." The harbormaster tipped his hat "Give me a moment." He walked up the staircase spiraling up the "harbor". Within minutes, the harbormaster came back, holding three tickets and a cargo hold claim. "Here are your tickets and a claim to a space in the cargo hold. You are to board the Marie Galante within one hour. I bid you all a good trip." He gave the group a brief nod before going along with his business.

The three then walked up the stairs and approached the captain of the Marie Galante. "Ah, you must be the noble brats that got us to speed up our schedule to go to Albion." The captain said, clearly annoyed "Because of your bloody joyride, a shitload of my contracts just been terminated. You're all lucky that we were supposed to go there in the first place; otherwise, you'd be ruining even more of my contracts."

Saito rolled his eyes "well sorry about the inconvenience…"

"Well, at least one of you has the audacity to apologize." The captain spat "Come on, I'll show you to your rooms." He showed the group to their cabins, and then helped Tabitha bring Sylphid to the animal pen in storage.

As Tabitha brought Sylphid to the pen, Sylphid suddenly had recoiled from one of the crates stacked on the other side of the storage. "Whoa…" Tabitha calmed down her familiar as she led her into the pen.

Saito observed how Sylphid reacted "What's in that cargo?"

"There's only some sort of exotic flower that is only found in Tarbes." The captain told him "There shouldn't be anything that could offend a wind dragon like that."

Letting the idea go to rest, Saito, Kirche, and Tabitha went back to their cabin. Saito sat on the floor, spotting a chess set on the other side of the room "Well, seeing as though we're going to be here for a while… anyone know how to play chess?"

* * *

><p><strong>The next day<strong>

It had been a day since the Marie Galante had departed. Since then, Saito and Tabitha had been competing against each other in several games of chess, with Kirche acting as a spectator/referee. It had been tied between them 49-49. Kirche would have played, but after seeing the two of them go through 98 games within the period of a single day, she guessed she would be no match for either of them and instead decided to watch from the sidelines.

_*BANG!*_

Suddenly, cannon fire rung throughout the air. The voices of the crew had started to yell as the sounds of frantic footsteps rumbled the ship.

Saito stood up in alarm "what the hell's going on here?"

As he was distracted, Tabitha snuck in an extra turn and maneuvered her knight, placing it next to Saito's king "checkmate."

Saito's eyes darted back to the chessboard "What the-" he saw his king surrounded by Tabitha's knight and bishop "Oh son of a-" he shook his head "You know what, never mind." He ran out of the cabin and onto the deck. He found the captain "I want to know what the hell is going on around here!"

The captain gritted his teeth before pointing at a ship in the distance "Take a look for yourself!"

The ship in the distance was much larger than the Marie Galante. Cannons jutting out of the portside, painted black, and without any types of flag, Saito could tell that it was most likely a pirate ship.

_*BANG!*_

"Hit the deck!" Saito and the crew had ducked a second before a cannonball flew over their heads. Getting back up, the opposing ship had raised a four colored flag.

"Tch, they want us to surrender…" the captain grumbled as Saito disappeared below deck. Their ship was far from unarmed, but the opposing "Okay men, stop the ship."

* * *

><p><strong>Hours after that, aboard the Eagle<strong>

Almost effortlessly, the pirates have captured the Marie Galante. They took all of the cargo (and by extension, Sylphid) and captured Kirche and Tabitha, taking away their wands in the process. Other than that, they had left the Marie Galante alone. Saito hasn't been seen since the pirates have shown up.

Another day has passed since the pirates had captured the Marie Galante. All was quiet throughout the warship.

_*rumble*_

However, down below the cargo hold, one of the cargo crates started to rumble. One of the pirates, who were watching over the cargo, walked over to the rumbling crate. "What the hell?"

_*rumble, rumble*_

The crate started to rumble much more violently. Panicking, the pirate readied his boarding axe and slowly approached the crate, putting his hand on the lid.

As soon as he opened up the crate, Saito emerged from within, grabbed the pirate, and dragged him within.

_*WHACK!*_

Saito leapt out of the crate, dusting himself off "well that was particularly easy." He glanced at the cargo; "but still, what are these doing here?" he said as he picked up what looked like a beautiful, pink flower native to Japan. "If Halkenginia is based on Renaissance Europe, then Sakura (cherry blossoms) shouldn't even exist in this area." He took note of the crate's labels, it read:

_ERUDITO SHIPPING & MANUFACTURING COMPANY_

_PRECIOUS CARGO_

_FRAGILE: handle with care_

_UNPACK CAREFULLY_

_CAUTION: do not use magic_

_SHIP FROM: Tarbes_

_SHIP TO: Newcastle_

_EXPRESS SHIPPING_

Including that crate, there were seven crates that had this label. Whoever sent these flowers must have really wanted them to go to Newcastle, and fast. But the question is, why? As far as Saito knew, _Sakura_ were nothing more than harmless flowers. For them to be labeled precious cargo means that these kinds of flowers are very rare and valuable in Halkenginia.

He then remembered something from earlier. Taking the flower, Saito walked over to the other end of the cargo hold and presented the flower to Sylphid, who was taken along with the rest of the cargo and placed in a special holding cell.

"Gao!" Sylphid sniffed the flower before gently biting it, slowly eating it out of Saito's hand.

"…_Kimyōna_ (strange)…" Saito muttered after wiping his hand clean. He clearly remembered two days ago, Sylphid was definitely offended by something that was in one of those crates. If it wasn't the flowers, then what was it?

Saito shook his head; now was not the time to delve into another mystery at the moment. He needed to find his friends. He put the investigation on hold as he pulled out the unconscious pirate's body from the first crate and dragged him towards a dark corner of the room.

* * *

><p><strong>A couple minutes later<strong>

Saito, now disguised as a pirate, walked around the ship, looking for anything that could come in handy. Going down one floor of the ship, he found Kirche and Tabitha, locked up in one of the jail cells. He put his back to the cell and whispered quietly. "Psst… guys…"

Kirche looked up "Darling? Is that you?"

Saito ignored the question "How are things on your end?"

"Well, if you hadn't noticed, we're kind of locked up." Kirche said bluntly.

Saito got on one knee and checked the lock; not only did the locking mechanism for the cell look extremely complex, it was too small for him to pick at with his hidden blades. "Do you guys know where the key is?"

"I think I saw the captain holding the key." Kirche told him.

Saito stood up "Hold on, I'll be right back." Warily checking his surroundings, he slowly walked away.

That was easier said than done; the ship seemed much larger on the inside than on the outside, it was more of a maze rather than a ship. However, he also had observed that the ship was too neat and clean to be considered a pirate ship. He also has noticed whenever he passed by any other pirates, that they were also wearing crude disguises as well, likely hiding well preserved features. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that this ship would still be part of a Royal Navy.

Eventually, after going up two floors, Saito found the captain's quarters at the rear end of the ship. Quietly opening it, he entered the room. Looking around for the key, he looked at the wall and stopped cold in his tracks.

"No fucking way…"

Decorating the wall as a coat of arms, hung an emblem of the Assassin Order.

"It… it can't be…"

Forgetting his earlier task at hand, he approached the emblem and took it off the wall "What the hell is this doing here?" he couldn't believe that the Assassin Order exists here. Since he has arrived at this world, he never realized the fact that the Assassin Order might have also existed here as well as the Templars. Sure, he had found evidence of them existing in this world, but they were only individuals who died probably only days after they had arrived. Could there have been a possibility that an Assassin individual would have survived, and possibly established the Order in Halkenginia?

As he contemplated the possibilities, he heard footsteps coming from the hallway.

"Repeat what you're saying trainee; what exactly happened again?" a female voice said.

"I found Corinth below the cargo deck, unconscious and his clothing missing." Another voice, this time the voice of a young man, told the young woman.

"That's certainly-" the young woman paused "Hold on, there's someone in your office." The sound of a pistol being drawn was heard.

*SLAM!*

The woman kicked the door open, shortly followed by a young man. The woman looked like he was in her mid to late 20's, had short, light brown hair, wore a rugged white, black and blue hooded uniform and brandished a Gallian coat pistol. Her companion, who looked only a couple years older than Saito, had blonde hair sticking out of a black wig, wore a rugged captain's uniform and brandished a wand. What surprised Saito was that both of them spoke in perfect English, but that was probably because Albion correlated with England, as Tristain did with Belgium. But, it surprised him more was that both of them wore the Emblem of the Assassin Brotherhood.

The woman pulled back the hammers of her pistol "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

The young man gently nudged his companion "Hey, that guy's wearing Corinth's clothes."

The woman glared at her companion "Wales, now is not the time." She then shifted her attention back to Saito "Now, remove that uniform and keep your hands where I can see them!"

Saito stared at them with his other eyes; both of them were highlighted bright blue. There truly were Assassins before him. He smiled gently, simply shrugging "All right." He set down the emblem before slowly removing the pirate uniform, revealing his modern-esque attire.

The woman's gaze slowly lowered to the insignias adorned on Saito's bracers "hold up." She made Saito stop "That insignia, why do you wear it?" she glared at the young assassin.

"Well, it only represents the beliefs that I was raised to live by ever since I was born." Saito declared without reserve.

The young man, who Saito immediately assumed was Wales, tapped his senior on the shoulder "I think that this guy may be one of us."

"I'll be the judge of that." The woman kept her pistol trained at Saito "If you really were raised around that symbol, then you were taught a simple creed. Recite that creed."

"Sounds fair enough," Saito pulled back his ring finger and took a deep breath "The Creed states that nothing is true, everything is permitted."

With those words chanted out of Saito's mouth, the woman slowly holstered her pistol "Stand down Wales, this kid is one of us." She offered her hand to Saito as Wales put away his wand "Sorry about that, I had to make sure you were amongst our ranks. I'm Master Assassin Freya Ellicott, and the recruit over there is Prince Wales Tudor of Albion."

"Wait a minute," Saito pointed at Wales "You're telling me that recruit over there is the crown prince of Albion?"

Wales shrugged "long story, and your name is?"

"Right, forgot to introduce myself," the Japanese assassin presented his hand "The name's Saito Hiraga. I'm from the _Nihonjin _(Japanese) branch of the Brotherhood."

Freya and Wales looked at each other before asking "Where is that?"

"Um, how do I explain this in a way that you two will understand?" he removed his hood and scratched his pitch black hair. After a deep breath, he explained to the two Assassins how he was from the original Assassin Order, how he had gotten to Halkenginia, and every event that had transpired ever since.

Wales was at a complete loss, but Freya nodded, sort of understanding him "So, you are saying that you are from the original Assassin Order, which was formed in a land beyond Halkenginia, and that you have been sent here due to unforeseen circumstances, correct?"

"That is correct, Master Assassin." Saito said respectfully.

"Funny story of yours, kid;" Freya snorted "Your story of coming from the original Brotherhood, and coming to Halkenginia due to fate's hand, it is the same exact story that our Mentor had when he established the Halkenginian Assassin Brotherhood."

"I take it you don't believe me?" Saito replied flatly.

"Well, you bear our emblem, know our creed, and know to show respect to a Master Assassin, so you give me no reason not to believe you." Freya slowly sat down on one of the chairs "It's just if I can trust you is the issue."

"Then, I wish to prove my loyalty to the Order to you in the near future." Saito's gaze wandered around for a bit. "Though I'm kind of curious why exactly this branch of the Order is based on a ship,"

Freya sat down on one of the chairs "Well, the Albionese Assassins were doing just fine until the Civil War started. Since the Royalists were known to protect the rights of its commoners, The Assassins backed them up. That's how we met Wales over here." She gestured to Wales, who waved in response "But, Reconquista nearly eradicated the Assassins' influence in Albion; destroying both our bases and our good name. Both the Albionese Assassins and the Royalists are on its last legs; with our last base hidden in Newcastle. It's like Reconquista has a faction that acts behind the scenes, like what the Order has been doing to the Royalists."

Saito thought about it for a moment "Somehow, I think I might know who's working behind the scenes with Reconquista, but I can't confirm it with all the facts I have right now."

_*BANG!*_

Another large explosion was heard above deck.

Saito jolted to his feet "What's going on now?"

Wales calmed him down "don't worry; that means we must be getting close to Newcastle by now."

"What does getting close to Newcastle have to do with explosions?" Saito yelled.

Wales sweatdropped "Well, I think it would be better if you saw for yourself." He walked over to the porthole and presented a telescope.

Saito took the telescope and looked out the porthole "I still don't see how- What the fuck is that?"

In the distance, a ship more than twice the size of the Eagle ascended through the sky, firing cannonballs onto a castle resting at the edge of Albion.

"That ship is called the Lexington," Wales explained half-heartedly "It was originally called the Royal Sovereign until Reconquista captured it. It's quite a shame; what used to be the pride of Albion's navy, now being used by those rebels to mock us in our helplessness."

As Wales explained this, Saito unconsciously slipped into his other eyes; multiple entities glowed throughout the Lexington, but a small, brilliantly gold sphere his main focus.

"_I sense it; they have the piece of Eden hidden away there. Retrieve it my child."_

Freya and Wales looked at Saito, who was now staring into blank space "Hey kid, are you okay?" Freya called out, jarring Saito back to reality.

"H-Huh?!" Saito flinched, his sight instantaneously reverting back to normal. "You guys say something?"

"You zoned out for a minute, are you okay?" Wales folded his arms, a worried expression on his face.

Saito shrugged "I guess I have been doing that recently." Another set of unrelated thoughts came back to his head "Oh right, I almost forgot," He faced Wales "First of all, I remember that I had a letter for you," he pulled out the letter from his pocket and handed it to Wales "Read that later by the way, and second; I need the keys for the jail cell; the nobles that you took for ransom are allies; I trust them."

Freya motioned to Wales, who nodded before tossing Saito the keys "If you need me, I will be on deck, telling the navigator to bring us under." He said as he headed for the deck.

Catching the keys, Saito gave a simple bow of respect to Freya before heading for the jail cells, knowing for sure that he is not the only one of his kind in this world anymore.

* * *

><p><strong>The following evening<strong>

After Saito had released Kirche and Tabitha and made proper introductions to Wales and Freya (sans their role in the Order), the Eagle had sailed underneath the island and had made it to a secret port that connected directly to the castle.

At the underground harbor, the group was greeted by a tall, aged old mage by the name of Paris Chamberlain "Ha, ha! Welcome back Your Highness, and to you too, Miss Ellicott. I infer that you had a wonderful victory?"

"Why yes," Wales motioned to the crew, who brought the cargo down to the harbor. "We got some precious cargo directly from Tarbes." He opened the crates, revealing the beautiful cherry blossom flowers.

"Ah, I remember seeing these beautiful flowers for the first time when I accompanied the old king to Tristain oh so many years ago. It's a shame that things aren't going to be the same anymore."

Saito was still perplexed "I really don't see what the big deal is." He dug his hand into the crate, trying to pick up one of the flowers "I mean, I will admit that they are beautiful, but unless they are rare in Halkenginia, I don't see how they have any solid monetary v- _itai_ (ouch)!" he reflexively drew back his hand, blood dripping out of it. He placed his hand back in the crate before pulling out a Germanian Rondel dagger from its contents. "Wait a minute…" he brushed aside the flowers, revealing a small cache of bladed weapons "someone smuggled some supplies in these crates."

He and the others checked the other boxes: the one that Saito opened had a cache of swords and knives. The second one had a small supply of muzzle loading firearms and ammunition. The third held several brand new wands and staves. And the fourth, fifth and sixth crates held miscellaneous war supplies.

In the last crate, besides the flowers, all that was in there was a delicately wrapped package with a letter tied to it. The letter was addressed to Master Freya Ellicott.

"It's for you," he handed the letter over to Freya.

Freya took the letter and read it to herself. It read:

_Master Ellicott,_

_Here is the shipment that you had ordered one month ago. Forgive us for not assisting earlier; communications with Albion have been poor as of recently since the dawn of the Civil War. We are unable to send any personnel at this time. However, sources have noted that a special individual is approaching Albion. According to the information from the Tristainian Assassin Order, the individual is also an Assassin, and an exceptionally skilled one at that, but he has not yet realized of the Order's presence in Halkenginia, and has been acting alone, yet still upholding the traditions of our Order. Your orders are to get this Assassin to acknowledge the Order's presence. If he truly is an Assassin, he should follow your orders without question. If that is the case, With his skill, he should turn the tide of the civil war. We trust for you to get this done._

_Nothing is true, everything is permitted._

_The board of the Erudito Shipping & Manufacturing Company_

"Heh, I guess the Brotherhood still has faith in this branch." Freya tucked the letter into her pocket before picking up one of the _sakura _flowers. The _sakura _flowers, as the Mentor had called them, in their relatively brief history in Halkenginia, have been known as signs that history is going to change for the better. These changes, unknown to most, have always been linked to the Halkenginian Assassins.

"Wait a minute," Saito pulled Freya over to the side "How do they know of me?"

"The eyes of the Assassin Order are everywhere. That should be something you should already know."

"Alright then," Another question popped into Saito's head "So is this Erudito company a part of our… uh… faction?"

"Yes, the Company was created about five years after the Mentor established the Order in Halkenginia, which was 54 years ago. The company has been used as both a source of income and as a cover for the Halkenginian Assassins for as long as I could remember." Freya told him.

"Okay then," Saito glanced at the package in his hands "So what is in this package? Why did they send you this?"

Freya took the package from him "I'll issue it to you later, for now we should join the rest of the group." She said as the two walked back to the group.

* * *

><p><strong>A bit later, In Newcastle Manor<strong>

The group was welcomed into the Newcastle Manor with open arms. Kirche and Tabitha were treated as special guests within the Manor and were treated to a feast with the remaining Royalists.

Saito followed Freya and Wales to a small office next to the kitchen room "So, where are the rest of the Assassins?" he asked.

Freya gestured to both him and Wales "We're all that's left; the rest of Albion's Assassins have either been killed or captured and transferred to the Lexington."

Saito activated his hidden blades before retracting them "If that's the case, then send me on a rescue mission."

Freya's eyes widened "Excuse me?"

"Send me on a rescue mission. Let me rescue the Assassins imprisoned in the Lexington, It will be my first official mission from the Order in a long time." Saito eagerly smiled.

Wales looked at Freya, obviously concerned "He's not serious, is he?"

"You do realize sending a single person to a battleship filled with hostiles is a suicide mission, right?" Freya will admit the kid had guts, but that idea of his was insane. "If they find someone trying to free them, they will capture you and have all of them killed, assuming that they aren't already dead in the first place. As a Master Assassin, I cannot compromise the Brotherhood."

Saito sighed. He had to take a different approach to this matter. "Look, the Assassins exist to create peace in all things. Reconquista only wants power and will stop at nothing to get it. You have seen what they done to the royalists, to other Assassins, to our brothers. They take our brothers, and you choose to stand here and do nothing? Our brothers are dying while those who are guilty of these crimes are laughing at us. When faced with a challenge, we don't hide; we show them what it truly means to cross the Assassins!"

"…" Freya contemplated her choices for a moment "Alright, I'll authorize the mission. You are only permitted to go in, rescue as many Assassins as you can, then get out. You must do so while corresponding with our Creed. Do you accept this mission?"

Saito saluted his senior-in-arms "I accept."

Freya smiled; if this kid showed the spirit of the original Assassin Order, then the Halkenginian Assassin Order has some good roots to follow. "hold on," she took out the package and opened it, revealing a seal adorned with the Assassin Emblem. "Here, this is an Assassin Order seal, only given to the Assassins that have completed their training and became full-fledged Assassins. The Board's spies must have observed that you were highly qualified if they wanted me to give this to you." She placed the seal into Saito's hands "This seal not only identifies you as one of us, but it can create a shield around its wearer, protecting it from harm. However, its properties also make it occasionally disrupt magical patterns, but fortunately, it only does so on the will of its user, so if you don't want it to negate magic, then it won't, and vice versa."

Saito took the seal and observed it. Not only did this officially make him a Halkenginian Assassin, but it also selectively negated magic as well. He smiled; this was sure to come in handy in the future. He attached the pin to his right shoulder "I won't let you down, Master Assassin!"

* * *

><p><strong>Minutes later, directly outside the Lexington<strong>

Saito and Wales stood at the edge of Newcastle, with the Great Lexington before them. "Remind me how you are going to get me onto the ship."

"I am going to send you up there with a levitation spell, where you will enter the ship through one of the cannon ports." Wales said simply. "Hopefully, they don't fire their cannons when you start climbing."

Saito gave a quick nod "just making sure," he said as he leapt off the edge as Wales chanted a levitation spell, levitating the young Assassin gently towards the ship.

As soon as he entered arm's reach, Saito grabbed onto the edge of the cannon port as Wales stopped chanting. Climbing through the cannon port, Saito gave Wales a thumbs-up, signaling for him to retreat.

"Okay, now for the hard part," Saito ducked behind a powder keg and reached for his USP, "_Dokkoi_ (hold on)," if he uses a firearm, even a suppressed one, in a place like this, he might cause something to explode with a stray bullet. Instead, he slowly reached for a nearby sleeping rat and tossed it into a chink in a nearby guard's armor.

_*Squeak! Squeak!*_ the rat woke up, went through the chink and started crawling throughout the unfortunate guard's armor.

"What the- Ah! AHH!" the guard started to squirm in panic, desperately trying to get the rat out. This sudden outburst of his attracted the attention of the rest of the patrols, allowing Saito to sneak towards the staircase undetected.

'Well that was easy,' Saito thought to himself as he walked down the staircase, finding himself now in the cellar 'This must be where they are holding the prisoners,' Saito deduced. Ever so quietly he sneaked into the cellar. He took note that the prisoners were divided. On one side the prisoners were wearing damaged, hooded uniforms. These were the Assassins who were taken in for interrogation. On the other side, the prisoners wore tattered military uniforms. These were the Royalists who had refused to give in to Reconquista's demands.

He walked over to the cells, kneeling down "Brothers, Assassins, Royalists, lend me your ears." He said gently, getting the attention of all the prisoners.

"What the- who are you?" one of the Royalists asked.

One of the Assassins noticed the emblem on Saito's bracers "You're one of us?! Which branch are you from?"

"I am one of you; I will explain everything once I get you out of here." Saito got up and checked the lock; still too small and complex for his hidden blades "Do any of you know where the keys are?"

"The keys are supposed to be in the captain's room." One of the imprisoned Royalists told him "If you cut across the cargo bay, you can get there faster."

"My thanks," Saito thanked the Royalist before he headed for the door.

Before he left, one of the Assassins called out to him "Be wary, brother!" he warned "The crew of this accursed ship; they do not look like it now, but they were never one of them! They were once our brothers in arms, but some sort of unholy magic possessed them! They only threw us, the finest of our coalitions, in these cells just to make an example towards Reconquista's enemies; the rest were enslaved upon this ship. Be careful!"

Saito gave a quick nod, "I'll keep my guard up." And with that, he left the cell room.

Evading the guards, Saito slowly made his way towards the cargo bay. As soon as he got there, something in the corner of his eye made him stop in his tracks "wait a minute…" he turned to his right; at least twelve intermodal containers bearing the logo of Abstergo Industries were stacked orderly onto the right-hand corner. And, judging by the state the containers, they had been just moved here recently.

Walking over to the stack of containers, Saito picked up a clipboard that was carelessly left next to one of them. It read:

_Echo Team,_

_The following serial numbers lists the equipment that Command has requested to be stored in the Battleship Lexington for the usage & distribution to all teams stationed in Albion should their supply reserves run low. The serial numbers in Bold represent very important equipment. Please note that although the equipment bestowed upon your team is only a small fraction of what Abstergo Industries can offer, we would like to remind you that in this world our resources are very limited, so we ask of you to handle our products with care and use consumables sparingly. _

_Note: supplies have been internally organized and segregated into crates within the containers. Please do not carelessly disorganize the equipment._

_The equipment is as follows:_

_03-0310: Herne+ food supplements_

_**03-0324: pharmaceutical chemicals/ingredients**_

_03-0332: medical & first aid equipment_

_03-0358: hospital grade medicines_

_**02-0212: armaments for Abstergo operatives **_

_**02-0246: munitions & firearm attachments**_

_02-0279: riot armor, gas masks & less-lethal armaments_

_**01-0101: solar energy generators**_

_**01-0125: observational equipment**_

_**01-0162: spare parts and repair tools**_

_**01-0179: Animus model 1.18**_

_00-0001: equipment & armaments retrieved in Assassin Compounds_

_**00-0072: P.O.E***_

_*asterisk notes extremely important article which must be kept under constant 24 hour supervision of the team leader only._

_Further documentation and information has been issued to the team leader. Standby until further orders._

_May the Father of Understanding guide you._

_Operations, New World division of Abstergo Industries._

Saito set the clipboard back on the desk, hiding a shocked expression under his hood. It was true; the Templars' reach has even extended to Halkenginia. And that's not all, if all the equipment he saw before him is only a "small fraction" of what they truly have in Halkenginia, then even here they are a force to be reckoned with. What's more, this also confirmed his fears; the Apple of Eden has also been hidden here. At that moment, he realized that the cargo bay was completely void of other patrols. Grinning deviously, he nonchalantly swung open the crate labeled "02-0212".

His eyes widened; the container held multiple wooden crates all filled with assorted military-grade weapons. In one crate, he found a large shipment of Heckler and Koch Mark 23 handguns. In another, he found several Colt M4A1 assault rifles. There were plenty of other types of guns, but it would take him too much time to check them all.

"Man, they armed their operatives to the teeth." Saito thought as he picked up an M4A1 and an Mk.23 from within its contents. He then walked towards the container labeled "02-0246", swung it open, and swiped at least eight magazines for each gun and 2 boxes of ammunition for his other guns. After taking the extra ammo, Saito took a suppressor and laser aiming module for the MK.23 and a suppressor, forward handgrip, laser sight and ACOG sight for the M4A1.

"Alright, I guess that's enough looting for today," Saito said dejectedly as he applied the accessories to his new guns. As much as he wanted to so some more looting, he still had a job to do. That and it would be too heavy for him if he kept anything else. He closed the two crates before going on his way.

* * *

><p><strong>Later<strong>

After minutes of searching, Saito found the captain's room. He activated his hidden blades and prepared to breach the room.

_*This is Command. Echo leader, status report; over.*_ a voice said through a radio.

Saito stopped himself from reaching the doorknob.

"This is Echo Leader, over." Another voice, presumably Echo leader, answered. "There is not much to report in, although somehow a rat had gotten into the armor of-"

"_*I don't care about that. What is the status of our operatives?*_

"You mean the rest of Echo team? Don't worry; they should be resting up quite nicely. There haven't been any casualties to report." Echo leader reported.

_*And the P.O.E.?*_

"It's in my hands as we speak." Echo leader observed the Apple of Eden in his hands "I don't know why you want me to hold onto it though,"

_*You must be joking. If that power- hungry fool Cromwell knows what the P.O.E. can truly do, he will stop at nothing to get his hands on it. It's better to keep that pawn in the dark, with it out of his reach.*_

"Alright, alright," Echo leader calmed down his superior "What do you want me to do?"

_*Just continue converting these foolish Assassins and Royalists to our cause. I will come personally to retrieve it within 4 hours. May the Father of Understanding guide you.*_

_*click!*_

_*static…*_

Echo leader put away his radio. "Well, I guess I should check on the other operatives." He set the Apple into a hidden compartment in the desk before heading for the door. As he went through the doorway, Saito caught the Templar by surprise and pounced.

_*SHTLINK!*_

Saito drove both hidden blades into the Templar's chest, and forcefully pushed him to the ground. Retracting them, he then drew both his Mk.23 and his USP, aiming both handguns at him "Tell me how you bastards got to this world!" Saito demanded.

Echo leader just stared at Saito in shock, coughing up some blood as he did "Whether it's here or on Earth, you Assassins always have to meddle in our plans, do you?"

"Tell me what I want to know!" Saito roared "Neither my faction nor yours should even exist here!"

The Templar laughed weakly before coughing up some more blood "H… have you ever noticed that at any given place or time, a person or object disappears off the face of the earth. Abstergo Industries' research division showed that this was no mere coincidence. Whenever this phenomenon occurs, a unique electromagnetic frequency appears in the very last seconds that these objects exist in our world. They had theorized that this frequency opened up a wormhole that briefly led to another universe; this universe in fact. This hypothesis was made even more prominent when a member of Upper Management, Master Sheffield, had vanished into thin air when this electromagnetic frequency appeared in the research facility in the year 2000."

"That doesn't tell me what you are doing here." Saito stomped on the dying Templar.

Echo leader cringed as he coughed up even more blood "O… our research has observed that this frequency's presence is at its greatest during an eclipse, at the eclipse of 2002 we had released a UAV into the air that day, and it had disappeared with the solar eclipse-"

"Get to the fucking point!" at this point, Saito fired a warning shot with his Mk.23, barely missing the Templar's head.

Echo leader, though dying at the scene, grew annoyed at the young Assassin's impatience "W… what I am trying to say is at the next eclipse, the UAV came back, bringing us pictures of this new frontier! Abstergo Industries has just discovered a whole new universe! In response, after four years of preparation, Upper Management arranged several planes full of cargo and personnel and ordered us to set up connections and trade between Abstergo and the New World. Think about it; untapped resources, unpolluted nature, unknown flora and fauna just waiting to be discovered! Do you know the possibilities a new world could for us! This new frontier could have been Abstergo Industries' gift to planet Earth!"

"And all it would have cost was the free will of the ones who were here before." Saito altercated.

"No… t… that wasn't our plan…" Echo leader coughed more blood than he already had "We wanted to make deals with the natives of this world, but they wouldn't listen to reason! When we had found Master Sheffield again, she told us that they wanted to destroy each other just for the sake of power. She wanted us to save them! And the only way for us to save them was for us to unite them! I… if we didn't unite them, they were going to lead themselves to destruction. Y… you Assassins believe that you are doing the right thing, thinking that we just want the power to ourselves… but all you have done is brought more c… chaos…."

Saito stared at the Templar's corpse, holstering his two handguns "The cause of peace is always noble, but your means of control will only lead to more suffering." He closed the Templar's eyes "_Yasurakani nemure_ (rest in peace)." Saito searched the body, taking a radio, a machete, another Mk. 23, two more magazines and a classified file off the body before he picked it up and tossed it out the porthole. From prior knowledge, he knows that all Master Templars had a chip in them that allowed the Inner Sanctum to track their movements. Even with the lack of technology in this world, he couldn't take any chances.

Cleaning his hands, Saito checked the captain's desk, pulling out the Apple from a secret compartment.

The Apple of Eden, well, that was what the reports called it, was like the staff in the Academy vault; it emitted an eerie glow and looked metallic, but was warm and soft to the touch, like touching a living human's flesh. He held it in his left hand while reading the classified file in his right "The Apple of Eden has the power to control the minds of humans and conjure illusions. Those with a weak will who use it shall be driven to insanity." He read to himself. He casually tossed the file away. He had to be careful when using the Apple.

'They never were one of them!' the older Assassin's words echoed in Saito's mind as he raised the Apple skyward.

"_I command you… all of you… BE FREE ONCE MORE!"_

A wave of divine light pulsed from the Apple, enveloping the whole of the Lexington. Every crew member, all of whom were originally under the Apple's control, was finally released from its spell. They crumpled down to the ground, only to come back to their senses minutes later.

"What just happened?"

"What the fuck have I done?"

"I can't believe I done so many atrocities!"

"I have shamed my family with my actions!"

"My ancestors would roll in their graves if they saw how I acted!"

"We're finally free of that unholy magic!"

They ripped off the seals of Reconquista adorned on their uniforms, replacing them either with the seal of the Albion Royalists or the emblem of the Assassin Order. With their sense of duty returning to them, a handful of them freed the remaining Assassin and Royalist prisoners they had held on the Lexington, no, The Royal Sovereign, for so many moons. The rest, they had run off towards the ones who had imprisoned them in the great warship in the first place.

* * *

><p><strong>In one of the Cabin rooms<strong>

The Abstergo team assigned to the Lexington, Echo team, was relaxing in one of the cabin rooms.

One of the operatives noticed something was up "Is it me, or did the crew just get loud all of a sudden?"

"Yeah, I noticed it too," another operative mentioned.

"And shouldn't the commander be here by now? A third mentioned.

A fourth member stood up "Something's definitely wrong," he picked up an M4A1 and went over to the door.

_*CRASH!*_

An Assassin, followed by some Royalists and other Assassins, kicked down the wooden door, weapons drawn "Where do you think you're going?" They all grinned maliciously.

_*SHTLINK!*_

"Ow, Ow, Ow-"

_*BANG!*_

"Son of a-"

_*SWISH-SWISH!*_

"Not the face-"

_*WHACK!*_

"My leg-"

_*SLAM!*_

* * *

><p><strong>Back with Saito<strong>

Back in the Captain's quarters, deactivated the Apple "that should be it," he tucked the apple into one of his pockets.

As he did this, the old captain Bowood of The Royal Sovereign, entered the room. "I take it that you are the one who freed us all from that unholy spell?" the old captain gave Saito a look that a proud grandparent would give to his grandchildren.

Saito nodded "That's right sir,"

Captain Bowood smiled as he pulled out a document from his overcoat "Then, on behalf of the crew of the Royal Sovereign, I give you this as a token of our thanks, for freeing us from that unholy magic."

Saito took the document and read it to himself. His eyes widened "Wait a minute, this is the deed to this ship!" he exclaimed "What kind of gesture are you getting at?!"

"Keep the ship; I'm getting too old to commandeer a battleship, much less go on with this bloody war." Captain Bowood laughed lightly. "Hell, I was thinking of retiring anyway before the Civil war started anyway!"

"No offense, but I don't know the first thing about commandeering a warship!" Saito argued "Hell, I barely know what's keeping this thing in the sky!"

"Well then," Captain Bowood walked to the door, urging Saito to follow "There's a first time for everything." He walked out as Saito picked up the flag of the Royalists from the desk and followed suit.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, on the outskirts of Newcastle<strong>

Using a pair of binoculars, Commander Sheffield, The true leader of Reconquista and member of the Inner Sanctum of the Templar Order, watched in horror as the Lexington was enveloped in the P.O.E.'s light. "Damn it, they have the Apple," she cursed. She pulled out her radio "All Abstergo teams in Albion, report in."

_*This is Foxtrot team, reporting in.*_

_*This is Golf team, reporting in.*_

_*This is Hotel team, reporting in.*_

"The Assassins captured the Apple of Eden. Due to Echo team's unresponsiveness and the usage of the Piece of Eden, it is assumed that they have been eliminated." Sheffield reported "And if I know them correctly, they will use it to end this civil war in one fell swoop. All teams shall now abort from Albion. Retrieve as much equipment as you can and regroup with teams Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Delta in Gallia. Standby and await further orders from there."

_*Yes ma'am!*_ all teams reported.

Sheffield put away her radio and glanced as the Lexington, grimacing as the flag of Reconquista was replaced with the flag of the Royalists. The Halkenginian Assassins were much more cunning that she had thought. Reconquista has greatly underestimated their capabilities. If the damned Assassins know of the Apple's nature, then they can use it to put Reconquista down permanently. She can't afford to lose more of her operatives to that stupid Creed. They had to pull out of Albion before they can find any other trace of them.

Retreat wasn't personally her style, but the Order of the Knights Templar had to live on. Recapturing the Apple was too risky of a move at the moment. Right now, she needed to take the ring of Andvari from Cromwell. It may have been obsolete compared to the Pieces of Eden, but it was better than nothing.

She took one last look at the Royal Sovereign "You Assassins may have won the battle, but the true war has only begun."

And with that, she disappeared with the wind.

* * *

><p><strong>Concurrently, back in Newcastle Manor<strong>

Wales read the letter that Saito had given him earlier, tears in his eyes "So, that's how it is, huh?" Henrietta, his beautiful cousin, was getting married to the Emperor of Germania, and to make sure it goes off without a hitch, he had to return the love letter she wrote to him all those years ago. The very thought of the woman he loved marrying someone who didn't love her back was killing him on the inside. If he could, he would leave his country right now and go to Henrietta's side, but alas, his duty to his country and to his new creed halted any action of doing so. The only thing he could do was to relinquish the letter, or destroy it. In a hidden compartment in his desk, he pulled out a box enclosed with a letter, obviously worn out from being opened over and over again. "I guess this is goodbye, my love…" if he truly loved Henrietta, he had to let go. His heart wrenched as he mentally prepared himself to rip the love letter.

_*BOOOM!*_

Wales paused "They must be firing at us again," he noted. Putting the letter away, he looked out the window; the Lexington had fired a volley of cannonballs, but for some reason, not at the Manor. Instead, the Lexington was firing into the barren mountains beyond Newcastle's borders. Not to mention that the ship's movements look absolutely shaky; as if they were training a new captain up there.

Wales strained his eyes "Wait a minute…" He pulled out his telescope and looked through it; they were taking down the three-colored flag of Reconquista, slowly replacing it with the seven-feathered flag of the Royalist faction.

"What in founder's name is going on over there?"

The Lexington went into half sail before turning around, flying towards the Manor. It sailed through the skies before it rolled up its sails, gently using the momentum to slowly approach the Manor, coming to a complete stop meters away from the window. The stunt that could've nearly destroyed both the ship and the Manor with one wrong move was surprising enough, but what surprised the Crown prince even more was that Saito, the young Assassin he had met barely a day ago, was assuming command, with Captain Bowood, who had supposedly sided with Reconquista, acting as a first mate.

Suddenly, Master Freya barged into Wales' room "What the hell is the Lexington doing here?"

"I don't know," Wales answered "but for some reason Saito is commanding the ship."

Freya walked over to the window, watching as Saito calmly wave at her "Oh, what the hell did that guy do?"

The Lexington released the gangplank, allowing the prince and the Master assassin to come aboard.

As they entered the ship, they were greeted by surprising sight; the Albionese Assassins and the Royalists, all organized in their respective factions, stood before them on the deck, bowing in respect. From what they can see, there were about 250 Assassins and 750 Royalists who had greeted them as they boarded. And this was only half of their numbers; the others were all busy tending to the ship. To be short, there were approximately 2,000 personnel on the ship, with 500 Assassins and 1,500 Royalists.

"There sure are a lot of Assassins in Albion," Wales commented.

Freya wasn't surprised, though slightly saddened "This is only a fraction of our numbers in Albion." She said, making Wales gasp in surprise "There were plenty throughout that wanted change and rallied to our Mentor's cause. There were about 2,000 Assassins that lived in Albion before the Civil War."

"… Well, I'm sorry about your- our loss…" Wales said sadly. He remembered that the Assassin Order was also his creed now. He still can't believe that this creed is doing so much for him, yet he knows so few of them, with only Saito and Master Freya who he knows by name. He's a new member of this Order, but he only knows so little of their own motives, or their own beliefs.

Freya patted the recruited Prince on the back "Don't dwell on the past, recruit. The Order will always survive, even if all the believers die following it. After the war, we'll focus on rebuilding the Albion branch of the Assassin Order, starting with you. But right now, we have the issue of the "Assassin from the Original brotherhood." " she motioned to Saito, who was manning the ship's wheel.

Saito allowed Captain Bowood to resume command as he walked over to the bewildered prince-turned-Assassin and Master Assassin "Hi there," he bowed in respect "now before you two get mad about me disobeying orders and whatnot, I brought back the crew members back to their respective factions. That and I also got the Royal Sovereign to serve our cause."

"…" Wales did not know what to say about this.

On the other hand, Freya knew what to say "Your job was to free the prisoners, and nothing else, and you do this…" she shook her head "Well, I must admit, you have went far beyond any possible expectations I could have had for you. Technically, not only have you freed the prisoners, you returned everyone to their respective causes and recaptured the Lexington." She sighed "You must have both drove your superiors crazy and made them proud."

"I get that a lot," Saito sweatdropped "Oh right; I need to talk to the two of you in private." Saito went down the gangplank and into Wales' office, shortly followed by Wales and Master Freya.

Saito closed the window and curtains, before turning to the two Assassins. "The Crew members; they were not acting because of their own accord, but because they were possessed," he pulled out the Apple "And they used this to do it."

Wales looked at the Apple "What in founder's name is that?"

"From what the reports say, it's an artifact that has the power of an ancient civilization. This one in particular has been the cause of multiple divine or supernatural incidents throughout the world."

"And how does it do that?" Freya asked.

"…I think it would be easier for me to show you." Saito said as he activated the Apple, allowing them to be enveloped in its light.

Almost immediately, the Apple started projecting all sorts of symbols and images into the air.

Saito deactivated the Apple "This artifact has the ability to control the minds of the weak willed. If your wills weren't as strong as they were, then it would've driven you insane.

"Then wouldn't it be safer if it was destroyed?" Wales asked.

Saito shook his head "Personally, I don't think that's a good idea." He smiled "Besides, I think I might know how to end this civil war once and for all." He whispered the plan into Master Freya's ear.

Freya's eyes widened "That plan sounds so crazy that it just might work."

"So you'll authorize it?"

"Only if you can guarantee your success,"

"Then we'll make you proud, Master Assassin!" Saito declared.

Wales blinked "We? What do you mean "we"?" he asked worriedly.

Saito smiled "Prepare for your first official mission for the Assassin Order, recruit."

* * *

><p><strong>Three days later, in Londinium<strong>

Cromwell smiled as he walked towards the white hall; the rebellion against the Royalists has been going more smoothly than he had ever hoped. With the Royalists at their last legs in Newcastle, Reconquista will conquer all of Albion within the week. With this in mind, Cromwell gathered the rest of his co-conspirators, the power-hungry generals and ministers that formed Reconquista, on their final assault on Newcastle.

However, there has been some strange occurrences as of recently. His secretary, Sheffield, has mysteriously vanished, and so has the ring of Andvari. Not only that, communications with the Lexington has suddenly ceased. Somehow, while he glanced at his co-conspirators, he looked at the throne where King James, Wales' father, had been sitting the night he was assassinated and felt an eerie sensation.

Suddenly, a messenger barged into the room, interrupting his train of thought "The captain of the Lexington has arrived, my lord. And he captured the prince!"

Almost immediately, Cromwell forgot all of his worries "Well, where are they? Bring before me the Prince and Captain Bowood!"

Meanwhile, in the waiting room

Saito, now dressed in formal naval attire (courtesy of Captain Bowood), adjusted a pair of shackles on Wales' arms "Ready for this, recruit?"

Wales, although shackled, smiled "I am ready for anything that my new Creed can throw at me. Even if things don't go as planned… well, I stopped fearing death a long time ago."

"You're an Assassin now: you do not fear death, you embrace it." Saito said solemnly as he finished adjusting Wales' shackles.

Captain Bowood, who was waiting patiently by the door, urged them to hurry it up "Hurry up, the messenger is arriving!"

The messenger entered the room the instant Saito got back to his feet "Lord Cromwell requests your presence." He led Captain Bowood, Saito, and the shackled Prince Wales into the conference room.

Entering the White Hall, Saito glanced at the treacherous nobles that made up Reconquista. They all were the very definition of the word "Corrupt". They had all the power and respect that they could have ever wanted before they rebelled, but no, they wanted more and more. They assassinated Wales' father, enslaved the populace with their rule, and left only remnants of the Royalists and Assassins alive, only to let them be enslaved or to live out the rest of their lives in imprisoned humiliation. Using his "other eyes", Saito saw all of them glow crimson red. They were never under any control; they had acted upon their own will. Saito could only hide a glare as he and his companions walked towards Cromwell.

Cromwell greeted the sight of Captain Bowood with open arms "Ah, captain, a fine job well done. I will personally see to it that you are promoted to Admiral of the Navy after this fine achievement you have done."

"I thank you for the gesture," Bowood said wearily "But I must decline. I was not the one who had captured the Prince; it was this young man," he motioned to Saito, who merely nodded in response.

"Well then, if that's the case, you are allowed to take your leave." Cromwell motioned for the old captain to leave as he focused on Saito "Tell me, young one, how did you manage to capture the prince?"

"Simple," Saito pulled out the Apple and raised it towards the sky "I used this." He smirked as he activated it.

Almost immediately, as the light that emitted from the Apple touched them, everyone in the room, save for Saito and his companions, stopped moving. Saito had manipulated their movements to barely a standstill. Apple in hand, Saito influenced one of the nearby guards to aim his musket at Cromwell.

"_Kami wa anata no tamashī ni jihi o motte iru kamo shiremasen_ (May god have mercy on your soul)." Those were Saito's only words as he prompted the guard to fire, killing the deceitful leader of Reconquista once and for all.

_*BANG!*_

Cromwell's body slowly fell to the floor with a thud, dead. Saito then turned towards the immobile nobles that made up Reconquista. They had no regrets when they had killed Wales' father, imprisoned the Albionese Assassins, and took the power for themselves. What's more, they had done so of their own free will. Saito was going to enjoy putting them out of their misery. Making all of the nobles pull out their wands, he made his will become theirs.

"_I command you… all of you… DIE!"_

With that command, the nobles that made up Reconquista, released spells into the air, ending each and every single last one of their insidious lives. Any unfortunate guard that dared approach Saito also met their untimely death, forced to plunge their blades into their bodies.

Deactivating the apple, he quickly unshackled Wales "Now for the hard part,"

Wales stared at him as he got back to his feet "Wait a minute, going in nearly unarmed into enemy territory, and confronting the majority of people who have us at the top of their hit-list, that was the easy part?"

Saito shrugged "Oh, so you consider confronting an entire city easier than confronting a handful of corrupt old bats?" he said sarcastically.

Wales paused and thought about it for a moment "You have a good point there."

The two walked over to the balcony; directly outside, the citizens of Londinium and 90 percent of Reconquista's army and Navy were stationed within the Capital's borders. Wales and Saito looked at the city. "Well, it's about time you got started."

"I agree," Saito raised the Apple skyward "Time to bring this war into endgame," he said as activated the Apple, its eerie light slowly enveloping all of Londinium.

"_ALL OF YOU RETURN TO YOUR SENSES! YOU SERVE RECONQUISTA NO MORE!"_

One by one, the people in Londinium collapsed to the ground, only to come up again, their senses and free will returning to them once more. Within seconds, they discarded of any seal of Reconquista, and replacing it with the seal of the Royalists. Shouts of "We're free, we're finally free from Cromwell's unholy magic!" and "Long live Albion!" filled the air. They looked at the Capital's balcony, where Wales and Saito were staring back at them. At the sight of their rightful ruler, the people of Londinium rejoiced.

"It's Prince Wales!"

"He must have saved us from Cromwell's magic!"

"Long live Prince Wales!"

"Long live the Kingdom!"

"Long live Albion!"

As the people rejoiced at Prince Wales' return, Wales smiled back at them "Look at them, I've never seen my people so happy before- what are you doing?" Saito had walked back into the White Hall, closing the eyes of the fallen leaders of Reconquista, before subsequently taking any documents or wallets from their bodies.

"_Kōhai _(junior), here's lesson number one: the Assassins respect the dead, so unless circumstances prevent us from doing so, we give the deceased their last rites." He closed the eyes of another dead Reconquista leader "_Yasurakani nemure_ (rest in peace). He then promptly took an old letter and a wallet from the body "Lesson number two: scavenge from the bodies. The target sometimes will have an article of information that might provide insight to our enemies' future plans. If not, the money found in their wallets can be helpful in the future. Lesson number three: The general populace isn't supposed to know us, anything about our ideals and such; you probably shouldn't know of us had this Civil war not happened. Any questions?"

Wales didn't know what to say "Umm… no?"

"Good, we'll start your training tomorrow." Saito passed on the final deceased member of Reconquista before getting up. Putting away the small bags of gold, he showed Wales a stack of documents "Remind me to deliver these to Master Freya; these should have important information about the remnants of Reconquista and their allies." He put the files away "That should be it. Let's go." And with that, Saito walked out of the White Hall, with Wales following shortly behind.

* * *

><p><strong>Weapons unlocked! <strong>

**Heckler & Koch Mark 23****: A heavy, German match grade semi-automatic pistol. Though originally developed for the Offensive Handgun Weapon System, this .45 ACP pistol has become the standard sidearm of Abstergo operatives. Saito owns two of this handgun, a regular one found on Abstergo's Echo leader and a heavily customized one with a suppressor and a laser sight. Each Mk.23 used by Abstergo operatives utilizes aftermarket 14 round magazines, so finding 9 magazines, including the one originally in Echo Leader's pistol; he has a total of 264 rounds remaining for this gun. Saito will, more often than not, use it as a backup due to its heavyweight.**

**Colt M4A1****: An assault rifle used during many modern armed conflicts in the world today. This 5.56x45mm rifle is a popular carbine derivative of the M16 family. Saito heavily modified the one he found with a forward-grip, laser aiming module, suppressor, and ACOG sight. This rifle appears to be the primary firearm of most Abstergo operatives stationed in Halkenginia. He has 240 rounds remaining.**

**Machete****: a multipurpose tool that is often used either to harvest grain, navigate forest undergrowth, or to slice the throat of that pirate that's been harassing you recently. Simple, versatile, and easy to acquire, it is commonly found in the hands of Assassins, Abstergo Operatives, brigands, or the average run-of-the-mill peasant. Saito uses a machine made one (utilized by most Abstergo field operatives) found on the body of Abstergo's Echo Leader. Saito's Gandalfr runes won't react to it due to its (technical) status as an improvised weapon.**

**Attack: *** (+2)**

**Speed: **** (-1)**

**Deflect: ** (-1)**

**9x19mm Parabellum ammo: +100.  
>current ammo stockpile: 273<strong>

**7.62x51mm ammo: +100.  
>current ammo stockpile: 283<strong>

**12 gauge ammo: +100.  
>current ammo stockpile: 162<strong>

**Apple of Eden****: an artifact created by the First Civilization to control the minds of humans. This Piece of Eden was used to control the minds of all humans who come in contact with its unholy light. Originally thought to have been destroyed in Denver International Airport Incident [check AC wiki for more info], it actually ended up in Halkenginia, first in the possession of the Water Spirit, then in the hands of the Templars, and now into Saito's hands.**

* * *

><p><strong>Items obtained<strong>

_**Sakura **_**flower****: a beautiful, exotic flower from Japan. It should not even exist here, but apparently The Mentor brought seeds for this plant when he first entered Halkenginia. According to most Halkenginian horticulturalists, this flower's existence in Halkenginia is very brief, first appearing around 50 years ago. A crop of it is being grown, amongst other places, at a Tristainian commune known as Tarbes.**

**Halkenginian Assassin Order seal****: A seal that proves that you are a full-fledged member of the Halkenginian Assassin Brotherhood. Saito obtained this from Master Assassin Freya Ellicott, who was ordered to give this to you due to your dutiful dedication and obligation to the Creed despite initial unawareness of the Order's presence in Halkenginia. This seal is made out of a rare material that can create a barrier around its wearer that will strangely disrupt magical patterns when used, including the Familiar's Contract. Despite its usefulness, many Assassins still wear armor due to the fact that the shield will eventually shatter upon prolonged abuse, but will recover if the user avoids getting hit.**

**Effect: [adds regenerating **** health/saves user from fatal hit][will always counter magic]**

**Cooldown time: ~60 seconds**

**Classified Abstergo documents: ****As the name suggests, these are classified documents that bear the logo of Abstergo Industries. All of these documents show proof that the Templars had knowledge of this world and has been operating in Halkenginia since the 2000s.**

**Deed to the Royal Sovereign:**** the deed to the Royal Sovereign Man o' War battleship. This ship was captured by Reconquista and used as a P.O.W. holding ship, where both Royalists and Assassins became the imprisoned captives and workers on this ship. After Saito single-handedly recaptured it, it was offered to him on behalf of its crew and workers. Congratulations, the King of the Skies is now yours to command.**

**Ship Class: (Legendary) Man o' War**

**Captain of the Royal Sovereign outfit****: a blue formal captain's uniform. Not only does this outfit allow Saito assume the guise of a noble, but it also allow him to commandeer the Royal Sovereign with more confidence, thus increasing his morale. This outfit makes no change in armor rating.**

**Miscellaneous documents****: a small stack of documents and letters found on the bodies of Reconquista's deceased leaders. These documents show many of Reconquista's plans, including their hideouts, sleeper agents and spies found in other countries. Saito has to issue these to Master Assassin Freya Ellicott later in the future.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: People, in this fic, Halkenginia as you know it is now gone. Not even this frontier was free from the never-ending war between the Assassins and the Templars. And now by this point, I have completely baffled and confused many readers, so here's a little timeline to explain the events that happened before Saito's appearance.**

* * *

><p><strong>Approx. 54 years ago (1958): The Mentor established the Halkenginian Assassin Order. He also introduced to the world Japan's <strong>_**Sakura **_**flower.**

**Approx. 49 years ago (1963): The Mentor created the Erudito shipping and Manufacturing Company, and it has been used as a supplier and cover for the Assassins ever since.**

**Around 2000: Abstergo Industries discover some astrophysical anomaly that causes objects and people to disappear and reappear between Halkenginia and Earth.**

**Mid 2006: Abstergo Industries officially found Halkenginia, and has set up several command posts to spread the Templars' influence.**

**Late 2011: The Templars instigate the Albion Civil War, using Reconquista as their pawn. The Assassins recruit Prince Wales Tudor of Albion to their cause, aligning the Royalists to their side.**

**September 7, 2012: Saito appeared in Halkenginia, you guys know what happened next.**

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, now that that's settled with, I now apologize for not updating in so long and thank my faithful fans for sticking with this fic. If you don't understand my explanation for The Templar's presence in Halkenginia, well suck it up. I worked really hard on that explanation, and part of it still doesn't make sense to me either, so just go with it. And also, I bet a whole lot of you didn't see that move coming, making the Assassins exist long before Saito even appeared in Halkenginia and preventing the war between Albion and Tristain from even happening. I probably filled your heads with ideas on who the Mentor was, considering you haven't figured out already. Don't worry; I'll be making sure to bring you guys surprise after surprise in future installments. So until then, please review!<strong>


	9. Confrontation

**Assassin in the Void**

**By psychored1911**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed or Familiar of Zero**

**A/N: Okay, I found a website that has many modern Japanese words and terms, so by the time this chapter gets uploaded, the dialogue from the previous chapters with also get updated. Well, unless I do forget to update it and in that case I would like someone to give me a reminder if I actually do forget. No seriously, I might actually forget if I don't check this document before uploading it.**

**Oh well, on with the show!**

**Chapter 9: Confrontation**

* * *

><p><strong>At the Tristain Magical Academy, over with Louise<strong>

"HE DID WHAT?"

Louise's outburst echoed throughout the dorm at the sudden revelation of Saito's actions. She couldn't believe that he would do such a thing! ...Okay, maybe she could believe that he would do such a thing, but still! Hastily putting on her clothes, she rushed down the dorm's stairway and onto the courtyard, where Guiche was preparing his horse for the coming trip.

Guiche took notice of Louise "Oh, you're awake! I was about to wake you and the others."

"Well forget it; they already left with Saito! And he's taken the Ring and the letter with him!" she shoved Saito's note into Guiche's hands. "See for yourself!"

Guiche took the note and read it to himself. After reading it, he only shrugged in response "I don't see the big deal; he said he was going to do the job for us, and let us keep all the credit. Plus, he has Kirche and Tabitha with him, so there's no need to worry about him. It's a win-win situation."

Louise stomped on Guiche's foot "Are you kidding me?! Do you really not see the urgency that stunt has caused?! If he would kill a group of terrorists just to get a point across to you, what in Founder's name do you think he would do if he was given something that could threaten Tristain's national security?"

Ever so slowly, Guiche's relaxed face slowly turned to one of sheer horror "We have to get there before he does!"

"Now you see! We have to stop him before he does something that shall ruin the Germania-Tristain Alliance!" With a quick whistle, Louise's horse came to her. Mounting her horse, she rode her horse out of the academy walls, with Guiche following shortly behind.

* * *

><p><strong>Two days later, at La Rochelle<strong>

After two days of traveling, Louise and Guiche, both weary from their trip, dismounted their horses, exhausted. They had just finished a nonstop trip from the Academy to the Port town of La Rochelle.

Louise, although completely tired, kept soldiering on towards the port, partially dragging Guiche behind her. After what seems like hours, although in truth it was only after a few minutes, they made it over to the port. Slowly approaching the harbormaster, she told him "two tickets to Albion please…"

The harbormaster shook his head "I'm sorry miss, but there are no ships that are going to Albion today. Now you could wait for the ships that are going tomorrow, unless you have a friend who is a wind mage who is of at least triangle class, like that white hooded fellow who came here two days ago, then-"

"Wait a minute," Forgetting her earlier fatigue, Louise dropped Guiche and stood up straight "The white hooded figure, could you describe him please?"

The harbormaster shrugged "Sure: I couldn't see the young man's face, but judging from his voice and stature, he should be in no older than you. He also seemed to be heavily armed from what I could see. He was also accompanied by a Gallian noble and a Germanian noble. Why are you asking?"

Louise shook her head dejectedly. Saito was already here, and he was already there by now. "It's nothing; I'll just take two tickets for the next ship to Albion." She said; she might as well at least try to get there and hope to stop him before he did something crazy.

"Of course," The harbormaster gave a gentlemanly nod before walking up the staircase spiraling up the "harbor". After a few minutes, he came back holding two tickets "Here are your tickets. You are to board the Corsair by tomorrow afternoon." He said autonomously.

"Thank you," After exchanging some coins for the tickets, she picked up an equally exhausted Guiche before dragging him over to the nearest hotel, where she got herself and Guiche separate rooms. After taking the keys, she left Guiche by the door to his own room while she went into her own.

Louise lay on her bed, contemplating everything that has happened to her thus far. For as long as she remembered, her family had always pressured her to be the best, to live up to the Valliere name. However, God had a sick sense of humor when it came to her, with her being born without any talent for magic. Nevertheless, she always strived to be better than what she was, hoping to improve and eventually live up to her family's expectations.

And then he came along.

Louise thought that summoning a great and powerful familiar would finally prove to everyone that she wasn't useless, that she was not the Zero that everyone claimed she was. But somehow, SOMEHOW, she summoned Saito. Out of all creatures that could have existed, she just had to summon something like him. She got the 'powerful' part of her claim right; she saw what Saito was capable of when he killed all of those terrorists who were threatening her classmates. The only problem was, she could never control him. Every time she tries to control him, he would just ignore her completely. He obviously had no loyalty to her, and he would always disappear to do his own thing, whatever his 'own thing', was. And even during the few times he actually did cooperate, a rare event already, he always had some ulterior motive to doing so. Whatever caused him to act like this, or why he wouldn't listen to her commands, was beyond her.

But those thoughts had to be put to rest for now. 'That stupid familiar better not do something crazy,' were Louise's thoughts before her sleep overcame her.

* * *

><p><strong>The next morning<strong>

Louise and Guiche, both fully revitalized after a day of rest, went back to the harbor where the Corsair was waiting for them.

As they approached the ship, the captain took notice "Ah you must be the ones who are boarding my ship. Well if you come right this way-"

"Wait!" turning around, Louise and Guiche were greeted by an unexpected sight; a Romalian priest and a tomboyish-looking commoner, the latter of which was seemingly latching onto the former for dear life, were both descending before the ship while riding a pure white dragon. If one took a closer look, the priest was, to make a long story short, incredibly handsome young man, no older than Louise or Guiche. He was garbed a heavily modified white and red priest uniform, a leather bracer on his left arm, and, oddly, a Romalian Schiavona and an exotic-looking dagger at his waist and a messenger bag slung over his back. His companion, if one got past the nauseous look on his face, the commoner riding shotgun to the priest was either a very beautiful girl or a _very _androgynous-looking young man, wearing a white shirt under light armor, dark brown pants and boots, two bracers, a pair of flintlock pistols on his belt, and an old Sabre attached to his waist. He also held a leather rucksack, where one could see the ends of a recurve bow sticking out from within.

As the priest and the commoner dismounted the dragon, the priest approached the captain of the Corsair "Sorry for the abrupt intrusion, but we'd like two tickets to Albion please," the priest pointed at himself and at his androgynous companion, who looked like he was about to vomit.

The captain, despite the initial surprise, just shook his head "Well, there's no denying a man of the church, is there?" he motioned for the Romalians to come aboard. Why the Romalian priest did not just go to a port in Romalia was a mystery to him, but he was not one to question, nor deny, a clergyman.

"_Grazie _(thank you)," The priest shouldered his nauseous friend as they boarded the Corsair, with Louise and Guiche following suit.

* * *

><p><strong>Hours later, onboard the Corsair<strong>

The Corsair was a far different ship than the Marie Galante that Saito's group had taken. Having smaller and fewer sails, along with several other factors, it shall take the Corsair four days to get to Albion, where it would take a newer ship only two. At the pace the ship is going at, the passengers, namely Louise and Guiche, slowly got bored.

On the other hand, after everyone had boarded the ship, the two Tristainian nobles did not have much contact with the two enigmatic Romalians, who locked themselves in their room right after they boarded.

And of course, Guiche's curiosity got the best of him "Hey, aren't you curious?" Guiche asked Louise as they explored the Corsair's interior.

"Huh?" Louise looked confused "What are you talking about?"

"I am talking about those Romalians who came onto this ship at the last minute." Guiche told her "Aren't you curious? Look, Romalia was famous for its ports, but they go out of their way to go to a port in Tristain."

"…Well, I guess that you do have a point there." Louise had to admit, for the Romalians to go out of their way to go to a Tristainian port was a bit odd. "But it's not our place to go into their business, especially into the business of a clergyman! He probably only used to this port to get to Albion because he was in Tristain at the time."

Guiche just shrugged his shoulders "You know, that still doesn't explain his motives for going to a dangerous country like Albion."

"Who cares? We also have our own secretive reasons for going to Albion!" Louise screamed at him.

As they argued, the priest and the commoner came up to the deck, watching as the Tristainians squabble.

_*Ahem*_

The priest coughed, attracting the attention of the two "You two are talking about us, aren't you?" the priest stared at the two with his heterochromic bright pink left eye and azure right eye, both focused coldly on the two Tristainian nobles.

Guiche reeled back in fear "N… no! We… uh… we didn't mean any disrespect, your holiness." Guiche bowed, with Louise following his lead. Offending a member of the holy church, no matter what social status, is considered a grave mistake that could ultimately lead to excommunication- a fate far worse than death.

The priest's angry expression slowly turned into a more relaxed one "Hey, don't worry about it; most of the people I know believe I am a weird person as well." he smiled, much to the relief of the two Tristainian nobles "Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Julio Cesare, and this feminine-looking friend of mine is Domani Altamura." He motioned to his commoner friend, who solely waved at them in response.

"My name is Louise de La Valliere," Louise introduced herself "And my friend here is Guiche de Gramont," she gestured to Guiche, who bowed respectfully to Guiche. "Your holiness-"

"Julio," Julio said simply "I would prefer it if you would call me Julio."

"Julio," Louise corrected herself "might I ask you why you and your friend-,"

"Domani," Domani interjected.

Louise rolled her eyes, not expecting sass from the commoner "Might I ask why you and Domani are going to Albion?"

Julio and Domani exchanged glances before Domani took out what looked like a rolled up poster from his pouch "A superior of ours wanted to talk to the one depicted in this poster." he unfurled the poster, revealing its contents to the two.

Both Louise and Guiche, upon seeing the poster's contents, just froze in horror. Before them, a portrait of Saito stood in the very middle of a wanted poster. This wanted poster seemed like a much more recent depiction, as it looks straight off the press. It read:

_WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE_

_This criminal is wanted for assassination of Count Mott, assassination of Sir Turenne, destruction of government prison, humiliation of the Mage Guard, homicide, theft, grand theft, vandalism and treason._

_UPDATE: this revolutionary is rumored to be affiliated with multiple underground guilds. The revolutionary is also capable of taking on multiple trained assailants, mage or non-mage, with extreme prejudice. Exercise caution when face to face with this revolutionary._

_The Royal Council is offering 10,000 ecu to anyone who captures or kills revolutionary._

Louise, upon reading the poster, started to tremble violently in anger, her face turning bright red in fury.

"WHAT IN FOUNDER'S NAME DID THAT BASTARD DO?!"

She roared into the heavens. Her own familiar was on the front of a wanted poster. She knew that he was capable of killing people; she also knew that he was responsible for Sir Turenne's murder, but to _destroy _government property, _steal _directly from other nobles, and to go as far as to even _humiliate _the mage guard, the pride of Tristain's military? Her familiar's actions were practically sending the country into turmoil! What's worse, if anyone were to know of his connection to her, her family's name shall be in ruins. Her family would disown her for summoning the one who has caused Tristain so much destruction. Not only that, because Henrietta was unaware of Saito's criminal identity, she practically sent a wanted criminal to Prince Wales! Forget an amorous scandal; if Germania ever learned that Henrietta sent a criminal known to assassinate nobility to Albion, they will accuse Tristain of supporting Reconquista and cut off relations with Tristain _at the very least_!

"I take it you know who he is?" Domani inferred.

"… You have no idea…" Louise snarled menacingly as the tension in the air grew "and the next time I see that lowly dog, I'll make sure that even death is too lenient a punishment for him!"

Julio and Domani looked at each other, and then back at Louise "Don't you think that you're overreacting?"

"Overreacting?!" Louise asked incredulously "I summoned a wanted criminal and set him loose-"

"Wait a minute," Julio stared at her in disbelief "by "summon him"; did you mean the familiar summoning spell?"

"Yes, but that's not the point here!" Louise ignored Julio's curiosity on the matter "Saito is loose in Albion and we have to stop him!"

"Hold on," Domani stopped her right there "take a second to look at the big picture: according to investigations, he only goes after the most corrupt nobles; he leaves commoners and the just nobility alone."

"Not only that, the destruction of the prison revealed a scandal about the prison; apparently almost all of the prisoners there hadn't necessarily done anything wrong, but the nobility imprisoned them because they had influence over the commoners, but the nobility had them arrested anyway on the grounds on 'suspected incitement of rebellion'." Julio added "If you look at facts, his ends justify the means. If you ask me, he only killed because he was doing the right thing in the end."

Guiche, who had been standing at the side for most of the conversation, said "Mr. Cesare-"

"Julio, it's just Julio." Julio corrected.

Guiche rephrased his words and tried again "Julio has a point; Saito did kill all those kidnappers just to save everyone inside. If he is really trying to do good like Julio had assayed, then he is more likely to protect the crown prince rather than kill him."

Ever so slowly, Louise came to her senses. She must admit, whenever Saito did kill, he was doing the right thing in the end. That didn't mean he was off the hook for being a wanted criminal, but she could at least acknowledge that he was trying to do good, even if it meant killing in order to do so. Regaining her composure, she said "Y… you're right." She curtseyed in respect "Thank you for your insight, Mr. Julio,"

"Glad I could help." And with that, Julio turned around and went back down to his cabin, with Domani following shortly.

However, as he descended down the staircase, Louise caught a glimpse of something adorned on Julio's belt; a foreign emblem designed as a stylized "A"; the same emblem worn by her very own familiar, Saito.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, four days later, over at Londinium<strong>

It had been two days after the assassination of Cromwell and his conspirators, and needless to say, the tide of the civil war has completely turned. With the command structure of Reconquista completely eliminated and its army, as if waking from a long dream, returning to its senses and defecting back to the Royalist army, along with the documents that Saito found, whatever remnants of Reconquista that remained either turned themselves in to preserve their honor, or perished when the Royalist Army stormed their hideouts. If one were to say that the Royalists won the Albionese Civil War, they would probably be not entirely wrong. With the war over, the people believe that Albion will usher in a wave of prosperity and peace, with Prince Wales leading the way.

However, behind the scenes, Wales was learning the ancient way of the Assassins. He had to admit, it was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. He was both physically and mentally exhausted at the end of his first day. If the end of his first day wore away at him as thoroughly as that, then he wouldn't know what to make of any further training. With today being his second day of training, he doesn't know what was going to happen.

Thinking about this as he walked through the castle, Wales glanced at the Ruby Ring of Water, Henrietta's keepsake. The thought of Henrietta marrying Albrecht the III of Germania both repulsed and enraged him.

As he tried in vain to stop thinking about Henrietta, he looked out the window, where he spotted Saito, in his captain's uniform, writing something down in his journal. Thinking that a talk with a more experienced Assassin would calm down his nerves, Wales opened the window and levitated himself gently down onto the courtyard, where Saito took notice of him.

"Oh, morning Wales," Saito waved at him briefly before returning to his journal "Can I help you with something?"

Wales waved back as he sat next to Saito "Well, I needed someone to talk to, perhaps to get away from everything that has been happening recently."

"Heh, I can tell you personally that this job will stress a person out at times, but that's how this job goes," Saito said solemnly "If you truly want to survive with the Assassins, then you need to step out of that comfort zone of yours and adapt to the world around you."

"You sound like an old man," Wales chuckled.

Saito pouted "I'm only sixteen; I'm younger than you."

"Sorry, sorry," Wales apologized "So, what are you doing?"

"I'm recording the events that had transpired so far," Saito told him "Our higher ups always want to know what truly happened, so as they know what to omit from official reports. For example, if one wanted to know what happened during the assassination of Cromwell and his conspirators, your role as an Assassin and my general presence and involvement would be completely removed from the official report, with you being the only one involved. The Assassins need to keep their presence a secret so in order to be untraceable. Do you understand so far?"

"… I think I got it-" Wales noticed something slipping out of the pages of Saito's journal "What's that?"

"What's what?"

"There's something falling out of your journal," Wales said as he pulled out what looks like a medallion that was about to fall from his journal.

Saito's eyes widened "No way; I thought I lost that four years ago." He snatched the medallion from Wales' hands and examined it; it was a circular medallion with an abstract, unfamiliar symbol on the front, one which looked like nothing Wales had ever seen before.

"What kind of pendant is that? I have never seen anything like it before.

Saito showed him the medallion "This is an old family heirloom my grandfather gave to me when I was a child. I thought I lost it a long time ago; I can't believe it was on me the whole time." Saito said as he put it on his neck.

Wales looked at the symbol on the medallion with great interest "What does that symbol stand for? Is it a symbol of the Assassins?"

Saito shook his head "No, it's an old _Kamon_, or family emblem. My ancestors, the Kusagari Clan, wore this emblem before they became Assassins."

"Funny, if you had a family emblem that would mean that-" Wales froze midsentence. As he put two-and-two together, he jolted to his feet "You're of noble blood!" he exclaimed, a look of shock on his face. From how he described himself, and by his actions alone, Wales had always assumed that Saito had been purely of commoner blood. Of course, commoners having noble descent weren't unheard of, but it's practically considered taboo in Halkenginian society.

Saito shook his head again "Not necessarily; in my country, while they are similar to coat of arms worn by your nobility, _Kamon _are mainly used to identify a trade or just a regular family. It does not necessarily mean that you are a noble."

"Oh," Wales sighed in relief as he sat back down.

"But in this case you're right." Saito deadpanned, forcing Wales to his feet again.

"Eh?!" Now Wales was at a loss "So you're telling me your family is of noble heritage?"

"Was," Saito closed his journal and put it in his jacket "My clan was part of the Samurai; the military nobility class. The Samurai were powerful warlords who held honor and skill in equal measure. If I were to make a comparison between the knights of Halkenginia and the Samurai, the Samurai would surpass them with far more tact and aggression. "

"Amazing," Wales' eyes widened in awe "so your family are these powerful warlords? No wonder the Order wanted them for their cause."

"As I said; they _were _warlords. After the country modernized, one thing led to another and they started to renounce their name as the country's protectors and began to serve the Assassin Order." Saito stated, a melancholic tone in his voice "They were fortunate enough to even survive if you ask me. But, then again, that's a story for another day." He then got up and stretched his limbs "Well enough stories for one day. Come on; I need more practice handling the Royal Sovereign, and we let go of Captain Bowood after the assassination."

Wales raised an eyebrow "What makes you say that I know anything about commandeering a ship?"

"Simple: for one, this is a country with a history of having a powerful navy, and as the crown prince of the country, surely your father or one of his generals showed you how to man a warship sometime in the past. Even if someone didn't show you, because you were recently in a war in this naval country, you were possibly involved in a naval battle, where you actively participated or at least watched another captain commandeer a ship. If that doesn't convince you, you were the captain of the Eagle when you captured the Marie Galante. Need I say more?"

Wales just stared at him, completely dumbstruck "Touché. There's a secret route from the castle that leads to directly outside the port. That's what the Royalists used to evacuate me out of the city. Let's take that route." He offered. Needless to say, Wales' popularity has practically skyrocketed after the 'Assassination' of the Reconquista conspirators and the liberation of Londinium. If he just walked right out of the castle and openly onto the streets of the city, he will surely get mobbed by the adoring citizens.

Saito smiled "Now you're starting to think like an Assassin. Let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, at the port<strong>

After four days of traveling, the Corsair finally made it to capital city of Londinium. If one were to come here even a week before, then Londinium would have been a different place. If it were only a week ago, then the capital would have been under complete totalitarian of Reconquista, where propaganda idolizing Cromwell and demonizing the Royalists, and that all suspected to support the Royalists were killed on the spot. However, right now, that was not the case: Instead, the citizens of Londinium were rejoicing, dancing and cheering 'Long live Prince Wales! Long live the kingdom! Long live Albion!' everywhere. In the distance, one could see earth mages trying to erect a statue of Prince Wales in his honor. It was as if Reconquista had never existed.

Guiche, as soon as he got off the Corsair, took note of this "Funny; the local herald told me the capital was controlled by Reconquista over a month ago."

"That's what I heard too…" Louise muttered as her eyes wandered towards Julio and Domani, who were seemingly chatting with a local woman in a faded white and blue hooded uniform. "Come on, let's follow those two."

Guiche had a perplexed look on his face "Wait a minute, why are we following those two?"

Louise grabbed Guiche by the collar and ducked under a stack of cargo "Look, if they are actually looking for Saito, then following him will lead us right to him," Louise explained "And knowing Saito, he probably already found Prince Wales by now. In a way, following those two will lead us to Saito and Wales."

"Alright then…" Guiche peeked up, watching the Romalians started to walk past the port.

"Well, you two surely took your time," A voice said smugly.

Louise and Guiche turned around; right behind them was none other than Kirche Augusta Frederica von Anhalt Zerbst; Louise's longtime rival and tormentor. Behind her, Tabitha was reading a book, completely ignoring them as usual. "Funny, last time I checked, you were unconscious on the floor, with bits of broken flower vase all over you." She smirked.

Louise scowled; she did not need this right now "What are you two doing here? Shouldn't you two be with Saito?"

"He told us to wait around town until he finishes his business here;" Kirche explained "He actually gave us 1,000 ecu each just so we wouldn't bother him until he's done." She said with an impressed tone.

"Very suspicious." Tabitha muttered, her eyes not averting from her book.

"Yes, but enough about us, what are you guys doing here?" Kirche peered over their shoulder "and who are you spying on?"

Louise sighed and pointed at Julio and Domani "We're spying on those two Romalians over there; the priest and who we presume to be his bodyguard. Apparently, they are looking for Saito. We thought that if we follow them, it would lead us right to Saito."

"Well then," Kirche peered over their shoulders again "You better do so quickly; they're just about to leave the port."

Louise's and Guiche's eyes darted back to Julio and Domani; they were about to enter the downtown district. "Oh, Founder- quick after them!" Louise and Guiche hastily rushed after them, leaving Kirche and Tabitha to themselves.

As they started to leave, Kirche grinned mischievously at Tabitha "Want to go follow them?"

"…" Tabitha closed her book and put it away "Lead the way." That was all she said as Kirche grabbed her by the hand and went after their two classmates.

* * *

><p><strong>Over by Julio and Domani<strong>

"You also noticed those Tristainian nobles following us, right?" Domani said as they ducked into a nearby alley.

Julio nodded "That pink hair of hers is really hard to miss. I doubt anyone would pass by and not notice her. I also feel like I've seen that blonde kid before." He scratched his head "Oh well, it's probably just my imagination."

"I really wonder what their connection is to that Saito character," Domani thought out loud. Judging from Louise's reaction, whatever had happened between the two of them was definitely _not _good, but it was the probable reaction when one found out someone they knew was a wanted criminal.

"If the rumors of him being summoned as a familiar are true, then that was probably his summoner." Julio sweatdropped. Because of Saito's sudden appearance and actions, the Tristainian Assassin Order has covertly put spies around him to monitor his every move and confirm his loyalty. According to their reports, Saito has been branded with Familiar runes on his left hand. Supposedly, the Familiar runes should make Saito more loyal to his "master" rather than to the Order, but the spies have also observed that he has shown almost no signs of familial loyalty to his summoner. Of course, this was all briefed to them prior to arriving to Albion.

Domani stopped and looked at Julio "You know, you told me the last time you've even seen this guy was over four years ago. I doubt he will even recognize you."

Julio pretended to not pay hear Domani's comment "You know Dom, I've been friends with him for a long time, so I doubt that he would forget me." He said as he turned across the corner, only to accidentally knock into someone going the other direction.

The passerby, garbed in formal naval attire and a tricorne hat, dusted himself off. Behind him, there was a fair haired blonde young man also dressed in noble attire. "Sorry about that, I didn't notice anyone was going through here," the young lad apologized.

"No, it was all me-" Julio started to apologize, but he stopped himself as soon as he saw the young lad's face; pitch black hair, dark blue eyes, and a stoic face only held by those who were far used to the scene of death. "You're Saito Hiraga!" Julio exclaimed.

Saito, upon hearing a stranger call out his name, instinctively drew his USP and aimed it at Julio "Who are you? Identify yourself!" Saito sternly ordered.

Julio raised his hands in the air "Hold up! We're on the same team; we're from the Romalian branch of the Order." Ever so slowly, Julio reached for his belt and took out a seal bearing the insignia of the Assassin Order.

Upon seeing the familiar emblem, Saito lowered his USP and holstered it "Sorry about that; I needed to confirm your identity." He pointed at Wales, who waved at them in response "As you can see, I'm escorting a VIP over here. But that's beside the point." He presented his hand "My name is Saito Hiraga, but I guess you already knew that. The trainee back there is Wales Tudor. Nice to meet you."

The second he said that, Julio reeled himself back, as though offended "Really?"

Saito looked confused "I'm sorry; have I offended you in any way?"

Julio frowned, looking more and more annoyed "I can't believe you of all people don't recognize me."

Saito shook his head "I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've met. I have only been in Halkenginia for a bit over a month."

"So you're telling me you don't recognize me."

"I have already told you, we have never met before." Saito declared, unsure why his fellow Assassin was insisting that they had met sometime in the past.

Julio sighed as he glanced at Domani, who merely shrugged in response. "You know what; it's my fault for not trying this method sooner," he said as he reached for inside his coat, drew what looked like a Beretta Px4 Storm, and aimed it directly at Saito's face.

Saito froze, completely stunned "What the-" As he stood there, utterly speechless, an old memory from four years ago resurfaced in his head.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback, someplace outside Moscow, Russia, March 15, 2008<strong>

South of Russia's great capital, there was a compound where several young Assassins from all over Europe were being trained in both body and mind the ancient ways of the Assassin Order. Because of the secluded area of Russia, this was an ideal place for trainees to hone their skills while staying under the radar of Abstergo's constant surveillance.

Saito, eleven years old at the time, carried a somewhat large parcel in his arm as he approached a trainee wearing a black baseball cap, who practicing the usage of MP-25, a cheap .25 ACP "Junk gun", onto a shooting range, with very poor results.

_*bang, bang, bang!*_

The MP-25 had missed every mark. The trainee, fed up with the gun, just threw it into the air, pulled out an expandable baton, and swung at it like a baseball, destroying it in frustration "Damn it!" he cursed loudly, much to Saito's surprise.

After a few seconds of letting his fellow trainee calm down, Saito called out his name "Julio-san…"

"!" The trainee named Julio turned around, revealing two heterochromic pink and blue eyes staring back at Saito. As soon as he caught a glimpse of Saito, Julio's tense expression relaxed "Oh, if it isn't_ fratellino _(little brother)!" He said cheerfully.

Saito groaned "Didn't I ask you not to call me that?"

Julio shrugged "Hey, you were the one who made the nickname in the first place."

"That was a joke-" Saito threw his arms up in irritation. Julio wasn't wrong; technically Saito did mention it as a joke a couple years back, but that was beside the point. He shook his head "You know what, I'm distracting myself; here this is for you." He handed Julio the parcel "Happy birthday." He said simply.

"Eh?" Julio opened the parcel, finding a Beretta Px4 storm and ten 17-round spare magazines. Julio looked back at his friend, astonished "Is this all for me?"

Saito nodded "Sure, it was hard to find in this country, but, since it was your birthday, and that you always complained about how much you hated the gun, I thought I'd put in some extra effort into finding them. Costs me about 847 euros (approx. 1,100 USD) in the black market for the customization. Don't even ask where I got the money. But enough about that; try out the gun." He urged his best friend to break in his new gun.

Julio, chambering a round into his new Px4, took aim at a distant target and fired three rounds into the distant target.

_*BANG! BANG! BANG!*_

Three 9mm bullets pierced into the targets bullseye.

"Pretty good, right?" Saito asked as Julio started firing more bullets into the distant target. "The pistol's compact size makes it easy for someone like you to hide it on your person. Plus, I asked for it to have a match trigger and a threaded barrel, so as to accept a suppressor. With all these features, plus the high capacity magazine, I thought it would be perfect for you."

Julio, touched by his best friend's thoughtfulness, turned to him and hugged him tightly "Thank you _fratellino_!"

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback End<strong>

Saito stared at Julio, a look of complete shock and surprise on his face "Julio? Julio Cesare? Is that really you?"

Almost immediately after the Japanese Assassin uttered his name, Julio holstered his Px4 and started to smile with glee "Been a while, _fratellino _(little brother)." He said as he gave Saito what can only be known as a bro hug.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, behind the corner of the alleyway<strong>

Louise, Guiche, Kirche, and Tabitha peered out from the corner of the alleyway, watching as the Assassins had mingled with each other. Unfortunately for them, they could not make out what they were saying; all they could see was, at the current moment, Julio hugging a naval captain as if they were long-lost brothers.

"Why is Father Julio hugging that naval captain?" Guiche asked, obviously not familiar with Saito's unhooded appearance. "I knew that Romalians were notably affectionate, but still."

"Saito," Tabitha said simply, making everyone look at her in shock.

"Oh right! I remember now!" Kirche started to recognize the young captain "A few days back, when we first landed in Albion, Darling met with the Crown Prince, who asked for him to help them with the civil war. Apparently, Darling had recaptured the Royal Sovereign, single-handedly might I add. And with it, he used it to recapture Newcastle and win the war for the Royalists. In response, the Crown Prince had given him the Ship along as a reward for his actions." She told them. This was the story that Saito had given them. In Kirche and Tabitha's ears, this story had multiple gaps and holes, but the two of them respected Saito's privacy, so they didn't pry into it as much.

"The one following him is Wales," Tabitha added, motioning to the noble behind him.

Louise, upon hearing this absurd and somewhat forced story, just stood there, completely stunned "How the hell does that make any sense-"

_*BANG! BANG!*_

Two gunshots, almost impossibly too close together, fired out and impacted the floor just inches away from their position.

* * *

><p><strong>Back with the Assassins<strong>

Saito, holding Julio's Px4, had fired two shots onto a corner "You were being followed," Saito said coldly as he handed the Italian pistol back to its rightful owner.

"Told you," Domani rolled his eyes.

Julio shrugged "That was my intention. The pink-haired Tristainian, I believe her name was Louise, seemed to have some sort of tempestuous relationship with you, so I thought that it would better for you to confront her face to face."

"The third tenet of the creed states that an Assassin should never compromise the Brotherhood." Saito recited with an aggravated tone. "And of all the people who could've followed you, why the hell did you have to be followed by Louise?"

"First of all, I'm not compromising the Brotherhood at all." Julio denied with a smile "Second, our spies say you were summoned as a familiar, so there's a likely chance that the summoner will try to exert dominance with a defiant familiar. In that case, the familiar must make his stand and put himself on equal grounds with the master."

Saito scoffed "You sound like you're talking from experience."

Julio removed the glove on his right hand, revealing mystic familiar runes branded onto it. "I am speaking from experience."

Saito froze, too many ideas happening at once. "…What the-"

"I was summoned into this world, just like you." Julio declared, the playful tone in his voice now gone "The only difference is where, and for how long. I have more experience on handling a summoner than you do. Just trust me."

"…" listening to Julio's words carefully, Saito turned to Wales "Wales, do you trust me?"

Wales, who was quiet for much of the conversation, looked at him and said "Excuse me?"

"I have a plan-"

"_*cough* *cough* _bad sign _*cough* *cough*_" Julio coughed.

Saito glared at Julio before turning back to Wales "I have a plan to put her in her place and it involves you, but you need to trust me first. So let me repeat myself; do you trust me."

Wales thought about it for a moment before giving a gentle smile "I trusted you before, and you delivered me both my country and the blood of the conspirators who took it from me. Of course I can trust you."

Saito grinned "Good, follow me. You two wait here for a bit" He said as Wales followed him to the corner, where Louise and co. were (sort of) eavesdropping.

"You three: go now."

With those words, Guiche, Kirche, and Tabitha quickly left the scene, leaving Saito, Wales, and Louise standing before the alley.

Louise stood before him, a proud expression hiding her inner rage. Her familiar now had nowhere to run. She can finally get answers from that elusive dog. "You…" she snarled "I want answers from you, right now." Even though Prince Wales was before her, just to the left of Saito, her mission from the princess could wait for now. In her mind, getting the truth from her familiar was the top priority

Saito sighed, looking back at Julio and Domani, then at Wales, and then finally at Louise "I know you're upset-"

"Upset?! _Upset_ is the least I am feeling you stupid dog!" Louise grabbed her familiar by the collar, bringing him to eye level "Your criminal status, your murders, your actions here in Albion, and even your relation with the priest Julio over there! I want you to tell me everything right now!"

Wales looked at Saito "You're a wanted criminal?"

"Usually comes with the job description," Saito replied monotonously. "Not always but most of the time."

"There's also that issue!" Louise tugged at Saito's collar until their faces were only inches apart "What do you even think you're doing half of the time?! I honestly see that you have good intentions with your killings, I really do, but you can't just terrorize from nobles as you see fit!"

Saito, getting out of her grip, dusted off his shirt and calmly said "Instead of you getting mad at me, my getting mad at you, then this whole thing just blowing up in our faces sometime in the future, allow me to make a proposition."

Louise raised a brow with a suspicious look on her face "I'm listening…"

"Instead of antagonizing each other, we acknowledge each other as equals, bury the hatchet right here and now, and all is forgiven."

…

…

Louise just stared at him with disbelief. Was that supposed to be some sick joke? "Are you kidding me?! You acted on your own, bringing utter chaos wherever you go! You have a 10,000 ecu bounty on your head-"

"Oh, it went up?"

"You mean to tell me you already had a bounty before-" Louise stopped herself right then and there, holding back the urge to just kill him on the spot. She already knew that she was losing her composure in front of a Royal, which is an embarrassing act of shame should she do so, and she could only guess that Saito brought Wales over so that she needed to consciously control her temper, even though she was on the verge of letting all of her anger out. "No, you are going to act like the familiar that you are, listen to me, and have this whole damned mess straightened out!"

Saito put his right hand on his USP; his left hand on Wales' shoulder "Alright, I'll follow you like a familiar should..."

"That's right- wait what?" Louise was taken aback. She was sure that Saito would definitely argue and try to fight her for domination. Not that she's complaining or anything.

"However, before I do that…" He pulled out his USP and aimed it at Wales' head "I'll splatter Prince Wales' brains all over the pavement!"

"!" Louise froze, definitely not seeing him play this kind of card.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, with Julio and Domani<strong>

"What the hell does he think he's doing?" Domani drew his sabre and started for the trio, but Julio caught him by the shoulder.

"Now, now," Julio stopped his effeminate-looking friend "Look, he's doing what Assassins do best, raise the stakes and force his opponents into a corner. Trust me, he's going to force her into an ultimatum, just you wait."

"… If you trust him… then I guess… Assassins from the Original Brotherhood sure are weird…" he sheathed his sabre and took a step back, waiting for what was going to happen next.

* * *

><p><strong>Over with the Academy students<strong>

"Oh dear Founder!" Guiche exclaimed as he and his classmates watched the events unfold. Sure, a rival for Henrietta's affections (if anyone would call it that) would disappear, but the death of a Royal would cause mass hysteria that will enrapture all of Halkenginia.

"He's actually going to kill him!" Kirche started to pull out her wand, but Tabitha stopped her with hers.

"Bluff," she said quietly.

"Are you sure?" Guiche asked "He's holding the prince at gunpoint! ...That is a firearm, isn't it?"

"Well he is holding it like it is one, though it does have a very odd design if you ask me," Kirche started to comment, but noticed she was losing focus on the main matter "But that's not the point! How can you tell it's a bluff?"

"…" Tabitha did not answer, and just returned to her book. As an experienced killer herself, she could tell the difference between true killer intent and pure exertion of willpower. This situation was definitely the exertion of willpower veiled with faux killer intent. There shouldn't be any reason for her to intervene.

* * *

><p><strong>Back with Louise, Saito, and an at-gunpoint Wales<strong>

Wales, stunned that Saito would do such a thing, slowly turned around and looked Saito in the eye.

_Trust me on this, just follow my lead._

He didn't know if it were if it were his imagination or not, but Wales almost swore that Saito was trying to convey this message to him.

Saito turned back to Louise, and gave her this ultimatum "Every crime I have done, it was all because you brought me to this world. Everything I have done can and is tied to you. There is as much blood on your hands as there are on mine. The second I become your familiar is the same second I reveal your connection to me. I'll even take it a step further and kill the crown prince over here. Assassination, Regicide, any crime I have committed. These accusations will fall onto you just as they have fallen onto me. Your family shall disown you for committing such atrocities, your country shall hunt you down a dog for terrorizing their nobility, and even your Princess Henrietta will hate you for killing her lover. You shall become lower than the dog than you claim me to be. That is what shall fall onto you if I become your familiar. However, if you declare me to be your equal, I let the prince go, shoulder all the crimes by myself, and your secret shall be safe with me. So tell me Louise, are you ready to draw?"

Seconds passed, but to Louise it felt more like hours. What was she going to do? On one hand her Familiar would _finally _obey her, but at the cost she will forever be cast in shame for all of his crimes, including the great crime of regicide. On the other hand, she lets her familiar free and no one will ever know her connection to him.

She collapsed onto her knees, defeated "f… fine you win… you go free… I can never let your crimes be a mark on my family's name…" she said with despair.

"… Good, maybe you're not as stupid as I thought." Saito let go of Wales, who sighed in relief.

"For a second there, I honestly thought you were really going to shoot me." He told him.

Saito nonchalantly spun the USP before holstering it "I told you to trust me, didn't I? I-"

_*sniff… sniff*_

_*drip, drip*_

The young Assassin turned around to see Louise, crying, muttering "it's not fair… it's not fair…" over and over again.

Saito groaned, knowing he's probably going to regret what he was going to say next "are you alright-"

"Get the hell away from me!" Louise screeched as she pushed him away "Why can't a monster like you just die!"

_*THWACK!*_

Almost immediately forgetting the pity he had for her, Saito smacked the grief-stricken Louise right across the face "know the depth of your words, brat." He said dispassionately "A life is a precious thing that should be cherished. If you tell someone to die, you are telling them to throw their life away. Do you honestly believe I will just stand there while you just tell me that?"

"…" Louise, her eyes red from tears, refused to look directly at her former familiar.

Saito glared at her, before slowly calming down "Look, even though I won't be familiar anymore, that doesn't mean I'll still be around. If I weren't here, I doubt your life would be as exciting as this if I was some, oh I don't know, an ordinary high school student," he glanced to the side for a second before quickly going back to Louise. "Look, I said I wanted to start over; not as familiar and master, but as strangers, alright?" he presented his hand and jokingly said "Hey there, my name's Saito Hiraga. Nice to meet you."

"… Do you honestly believe that I could possibly forgive you for all the crimes you committed, the trauma you've imposed, and the fact that you just struck me only moments ago?" Louise glared at the Young Assassin, her bloodshot eyes making her seem more imposing than usual.

Saito sighed and repeated himself "Hey there, my name's Saito Hiraga. Nice to meet you."

"That's not going to work-"

"Hey there, my name's Saito Hiraga. Nice to meet you."

"Will you stop that-?"

"Hey there, my name's Saito Hiraga. Nice to meet you."

"The Summoning Ritual was a traumatic event for both of us! How do you possibly think that either of us could forget any of that?!"

Saito shook his head "That's the point of burying the hatchet; you forget and move on. I'm more than willing for the hatred between us to disappear, because frankly, I am quite tired of it all, and I know you are too. I am offering something that will benefit both of us. If we become strangers, I will probably never obey you if you try to order me. However, if you ask me kindly, like a friend, there will be no guarantees, but there will be a chance that I will help you and listen to you. Hell, I might even pretend to be your familiar in front of others if you ask. A distant friend is better than a defiant familiar. So, what do you say?"

"… I guess I have nothing to lose." Louise sulked. She might as well; without a familiar anymore, she could actually use a friend right now.

"Atta' girl," he stood up and helped her up, saying once more "Hey there, my name's Saito Hiraga. Nice to meet you."

"I am Louise de La Valliere, the pleasure of meeting you is all mine." She curtseyed with a snarky tone.

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Saito tipped his hat "From now on, we're friends."

"I guess that makes it so," Louise chuckled halfheartedly. "Can I ask you ask a question? This has been bothering me for a while now."

"Ask away,"

"What is your relationship with Julio?"

"Simple, he was my childhood friend," Saito said calmly.

Louise blinked in surprise "_You_ were childhood friends with a _priest_?" she asked incredulously.

"It's even more ironic considering that I was the calm one when we were growing up." Saito shrugged "Though after four years, this place is the last place I would expect finding him."

"Where did you expect to find him?"

"Floating in the river of a third world country with bullet holes covering his body." Saito deadpanned.

"Oh, thanks," Julio said sarcastically as he and Domani walked over to them "You do realize you were just as weird as I was when we were in the faci- boarding school, right?"

Saito ignored the comment "So, now that that's settled with, I need to practice commandeering a battleship."

Louise did a double take "Wait, Kirche was serious about you getting a ship?"

"No duh Poirot," Saito rolled his eyes. "If any of you need me, I'll be preparing the ship for departure. Anyone who wants a free ride to Tristain follow me." He said as he rallied Wales, Louise, Guiche, Kirche and Tabitha before heading towards the harbor, leaving Domani and Julio behind.

"First he threatens her with regicide, then outright attacks her, and in the end ultimately wants to be her friend. All of that in ten minutes. That friend of yours is really something," Domani muttered, just plain confused by that turn of events.

Julio laughed "You should've seen him when we were growing up." He said as they joined Saito's group to the harbor.

* * *

><p><strong>Items obtained!<strong>

**Heirloom medallion: an old medallion that bears the **_**kamon,**_** or family crest of the Kusagari Clan before they became Assassins. This medallion is special to Saito; it had belonged to his grandfather who had inherited it from his grandfather before him. Saito thought that he lost this sometime prior to arriving in Halkenginia, but it was apparently tucked in his journal the whole time. How he hasn't noticed it until now is a mystery to him.**

**Might as well do this next part…**

* * *

><p><strong>Character Bio<strong>

**Name: Julio Cesare**

**Age: Born March 15, 1995 (17 as of mid-2012) in Sardinia, Italy**

**Political affiliations: Assassin Order, Church of Brimir (unintentionally)**

**Rank: **_**Assassin Fifth Rank **_**(Rank 14)**

**Personality: In his youth, Julio was somewhat a free spirit, being very energetic during his training, often putting down work to play in the nearby forest. This playful personality of his sometimes annoyed his partners (namely Saito and Domani), but he is loyal to his friends nonetheless. He seems to have calmed down a bit ever since he came to Halkenginia, but that fun-loving side of him still remains. Despite this, when push comes to shove, he will have his friends' backs no matter what.**

**Hobbies: Playing the violin, tending to pets**

**Special talents: Hacking, commanding animals, sniping, support fire, free-running, playing the violin, fluency in several languages**

**Likes: Assassins, his friends, animals, hacking, practicing his marksmanship**

**Dislikes: Templars, Abstergo Industries, Corrupt clergymen, people who try to hurt others, jokes about his eyes, poaching**

**Biography: Julio was the son of two Italian Assassins in Sardinia, and was trained to become one just like his parents. In his training, he had a knack for both hacking and sniping, which was the focus of most of his training. In 2004, he was moved to a training facility in Moscow, where he had met Saito, and the two became close friends. By 2008, he and Saito had finished their training and had become Full-fledged Assassins. However, his life took an unexpected turn when he was summoned to Halkenginia by Pope Vittorio Serevare, and was made his familiar. For one year, he spent his time (somewhat grudgingly) working for the church. However, in late 2009, he found a Romalian Assassin who, recognizing him as a member of the Brotherhood, brought him to the Romalian Assassin HQ and had him re-inducted into the Order. After telling them of his situation, the leader of the Romalian Assassins assigned him to be their spy in the church, although he still does other jobs for the branch.**

**Notes: He is considered very attractive by women, and is often branded as a skirt chaser by bystanders because of it; he occasionally takes advantage of this to divert suspicion from him, but it's quite ironic as he never actually had a real girlfriend before. He also notably has heterochromia, which he has insecurities about. For some reason, he avoids using short blades, rather he prefers holding it as a backup blade should Domani damage/destroy/lose his.**

**Weapons: Hidden Blade, Silver Dragon, Romalian Schiavona, tactical baton, Beretta Px4 Storm**

**Hidden blade: an iconic weapon of the Assassins. It is rarely used in modern times, but it is practically standard issue for Halkenginian Assassins. As such, Julio will sometimes use it in close quarters combat if he has no time to draw another melee weapon. This is the only weapon Julio doesn't dual wield with his baton. The one he currently uses is a Halkenginian-issue one; his ceremonial one was either destroyed or lost sometime prior to his admittance into the Romalian Assassin Order**

**Silver Dragon: an exotic, Ancient Chinese dagger. Although the blade is hundreds of years old (apparently made around 15****th**** century A.D.), it has withstood the test of time and is in extremely good condition. The blade seems to have been used to spill the blood of countless lives. Julio had found it, oddly, buried in the chest of "some photographer's" corpse. Oddly, because of Julio's aversion to bladed weapons, it is more likely for Domani to take it from his belt and use it instead of Julio using it himself.**

**Attack: *******

**Speed: ***** **

**Deflect: *******

**Romalian Schiavona: a basket-hilted sword commonly used by the Romalian military. This blade is popular among civilians and even a few nobles, the latter of which use as a fashion statement to show off to their peers. Julio commonly uses a civilian one, though he does admit on having a decorated, yet fully functional one in his room.**

**Attack: *****

**Speed: ****

**Deflect: *****

**Tactical baton: a simple collapsible baton. Julio uses it akin to how Saito uses the shock blade: as a non-lethal alternative to the hidden blade. Due to his training, Julio dual wields any one-handed weapon (pistol, knife, sword, etc.) with his baton.**

**Beretta Px4 Storm: a compact Italian pistol built for personal defense use. The one that Julio uses was a custom 9x19mm Parabellum one with a match trigger and a threaded barrel, the same one that Saito bought him for his birthday. Julio does have a suppressor for it, but doesn't usually attach it unless stealth is necessary. He has 185 rounds remaining.**

**Equipment: Man of the cloth outfit, Hacker outfit, Profiler 2.0, Halkenginian Assassin Order Seal**

**Man of the cloth Outfit: a modified priest outfit Julio wears whenever he's on duty. This allows him to take on the perks normally reserved for nobility and clergy, but reduces his armor rating to 0.**

**Hacker outfit: an outfit that consists of a black baseball cap, scarf, gloves, boots and layered leather jacket. The majority of the outfit it nothing out of the ordinary, but the leather jacket has a layer of Kevlar (the same type of Kevlar that Saito's hoodie is made of) underneath to protect him. While this will protect Julio from most non-magical attacks, wearing it is practically torture in the summer season. Wearing this will double Julio's hacking and reaction speed.**

**Health: *****************

**Resistance: ******** (unbreakable)**

**Profiler 2.0: an advanced smartphone specially made for hackers that serve the Assassin Order. This specialized hacking tool can be used to gain access to any personal information and hack pretty much anything with a wireless connection. While its usefulness is very limited in Halkenginia, Julio has modified it with an artifact known as the "Truth-Revealing Lens" (Which he inconspicuously stole from the Romalian Vault sometime in late 2008), allowing it to retain its ability to retrieve personal information, with the added bonus of detecting magical items. Using it in conjunction with his Windalfr runes will allow him to coordinate attacks and traps upon unsuspecting foes. Like Saito's shock blade, it is solar powered. It has the phrase "Everything is connected. Connection is power" on the back.**

**Halkenginian Assassin Order Seal: [see chapter 8]**

* * *

><p><strong>Character Bio<strong>

**Name: Domani Altamura**

**Age: Born July 3, 1995 (16-17 as of mid-2012) in Aquileia, Romalia**

**Political affiliations: Assassin Order**

**Rank: **_**Assassin Fifth Rank **_**(rank 14)**

**Personality: He is usually the one of the first ones to point out the oddities and quirks of society, people, etc. As such, he comes off as a very sarcastic and rude individual to others, although he is ultimately considered a good person in general. He is also one who is curious of the "world where the Brotherhood started", this feeling exponentially increasing after meeting Julio. Because of this, he has learned a lot about earth's culture through Julio, and through him knows how to operate modern firearms (amongst other stuff). He seems to have his secrets and would prefer it if no one talks about it.**

**Hobbies: Watching theater productions, making tea**

**Special talents: Assassination, free running, investigation, swordsmanship, disguises, survivalism, physiological immunity to poisons**

**Likes: Assassins, children, learning about the "Other World", ingenious playwrights**

**Dislikes: Nobles, corrupt clergy, Templars, people who try to hurt others, poorly brewed tea, whenever Julio drives/acts like a madman**

**Biography: Much of Domani's childhood is a mystery, only that he was training as an Assassin since the age of eight and had finished his training at the age of twelve. The most anyone knows was that he was found in a Romalian forest when he was eight. Any prying into his past prior than his recruitment into the Order will just result in the cold shoulder for the rest of the day. In 2009, he was assigned to be Julio's partner by the Romalian Assassins. This sparked Domani's interest in the "other world", and the two of them came to a deal: Domani shows Julio the ways of the Halkenginian Assassins and Julio shows him the marvels of the modern world. This deal led to them kindling a unique friendship/partnership that still goes on to this day. **

**Notes: Domani has a very androgynous appearance, which he often uses to his advantage whenever he puts on a disguise. However, whenever Domani accompanies Julio with a mission involving the church, many members of the clergy will often mistake him as Julio's bodyguard, or even his lover. While this annoys him to no end, he does admit it is an effective cover and usually rolls with it. He seems to be keeping a big secret from many of his associates. The reason his rank is as high as it is (Julio & Saito were given the same rank upon re-induction, but is stagnant unless their runes are destroyed) is because he manages to survive the dangerous missions Julio makes them go through, intentionally or not.**

**Weapons: Hidden blade, quickshot pistols, Machete, Colonna's sabre, recurve bow, SIG Sauer P226R**

**Hidden blade: an iconic weapon of the Assassins. Unlike his partner Julio, who uses the hidden blade mainly for self-defense, Domani uses the Hidden blade for both assassination and for open combat. **

**Quickshot pistols: a pair of breech-loading flintlock pistols. As a breech-loader, it can be reloaded, drawn, and fired much faster than a muzzleloader, and can fire 8-9 rounds/minute, compared to the 3-4 rounds/minute of regular flintlocks, hence the title "quickshot". It also incorporates interchangeable parts (which are exclusive to many of the Company's products), so it can be easily repaired at any Assassin Bureau. Although a potentially revolutionary design in Halkenginia, the Erudito Shipping & Manufacturing Company makes this pistol (and firing mechanism) exclusively for Assassins, and has not put it onto the market yet due to their only being one factory for it (Halkenginia definitely didn't have an industrial revolution yet) and training issues often complained about by Master Assassins, though they already have a patent for it. These pistols, like the hidden blades, are standard issue for Halkenginian Assassins. Domani holds 20 cartridges for each pistol, giving a total of 40 rounds.**

**Machete: [See chapter 8]. For some reason, the phrase "the definition of insanity" is branded on the side of the blade. This particular one was found on the corpse of "some photographer".**

**Colonna's sabre: a hunting sabre that once belonged to a legendary Romalian hero named Colonna. It was once said that Colonna could strike down any beast with this sword, be it a shark, a boar, or even a dragon, and was dubbed "the beast killer" by many awed Romalians. This weapon is not only very well crafted for its age; it becomes noticeably more effective when used against animals and magical creatures.**

**Attack: ** (turns into ***** when used against animals & magical creatures)**

**Speed: ******

**Deflect: *****

**Recurve bow: a bow that has the tips curve away from the archer. This allows the bow to store and deliver more power with every draw of the string. This recurve bow is actually a modern, mass-produced competition bow that, like Julio's Ceremonial Dagger, it was found on "some photographer's" corpse. He has 40 arrows remaining.**

**SIG Sauer P226R: A high grade 9x19mm Parabellum service pistol made by SIG Sauer. This handgun is basically a high capacity P220 that is used by numerous law enforcement forces everywhere. Domani found it in a Church storeroom that contained artifacts from Earth, taking a liking to it, kept it with him. Julio is currently training him on how to use the pistol. Unlike Julio and Saito's pistols, he doesn't have a suppressor for it, though it is fully capable of accepting one. It is tucked in his rucksack. He has 75 rounds remaining.**

**Equipment: Romalian Assassin Outfit, Halkenginian Assassin Order Seal, broken pocket watch, camera**

**Romalian Assassin Order Outfit: A standard Assassin uniform in Romalia. Unlike in the other countries, where the uniform is more subtle in appearance, the Romalian uniform is much more flamboyant and tight-fitting in design, blending in with the country's fashions. Nevertheless, it is fairly sturdy and will protect its wearer from bullets and blades.**

**Health: *****************

**Resistance: ******** (unbreakable)**

**Halkenginian Assassin Order seal: [see chapter 8]**

**Broken pocket watch: as its name suggests, it is a broken pocket watch. It is practically useless in its current state, but Domani holds onto it for some reason, seeing it as a good luck charm.**

**Camera: a high quality digital camera used by professional photographers. Domani has absolutely no idea how to use it, not to mention what it's used for, but Julio told him to hold onto it for the moment, saying that it will become useful in the future. Like the Recurve bow and Ceremonial Dagger, it was found on the corpse of "Some photographer". It has many photos of the jungle, jungle wildlife, and modern-day pirates.**

**A/N: And I'm finally done with this chapter. Honestly, I was making this chapter while I was finishing up my finals for the year, so yeah… Also, I bet you guys didn't see that one coming; Julio also being an Assassin summoned from Earth and his being Saito's long lost friend. And yes, I will make him distinctly different than the canon version of him like I did Saito. What can I say, I like surprising my readers. Also, I made references to two games made by Ubisoft in Julio and Domani's character bios. I dare you to figure out which games I referenced. With all said and done, please review!**


	10. Loss of trust

**Assassin in the Void**

**By psychored1911**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's creed or Familiar of Zero**

**Chapter 10: Loss of trust**

* * *

><p><strong>Two Days later, at La Rochelle<strong>

The flagship of Albion's fleet, after a long night of travel, slowly made land (or tree branch, in this case) and landed at the harbor.

As a Man o' War class battleship, the Royal Sovereign obviously attracted quite a lot of attention. The moment it landed, a small squadron of guards, led by a member of the mage guard rushed over to the docks, prepared to take on any potential threat that dared come from the great battleship.

Saito and Julio, the former wearing his naval uniform, stared at the scene unfolding before him, somewhat amused "I wonder if they realize a small group of guards are in no way a match for a warship of this size."

Julio shrugged "I just assumed that whenever they rally under the flag of a noble, whatever common sense they have just turns into absurdly blind loyalty."

Saito smirked "That sounds pretty accurate if you ask me." He stretched his limbs "Well, I better calm them down before they think of this as some prelude to war." he signaled one of his crew to put down the gangplank as he went down to greet the 'welcoming party'.

"Is something the matter, officer?"

The mage guard officer, a large, imposing man, stared down at the young captain, somewhat surprised that a youth is a naval captain. Shaking off his initial surprise, he cleared his throat and said "I demand for you to identify yourself this instant!"

"This is the Royal Sovereign, flagship of Albion's Royalist faction." Saito said simply.

The officer looked at him with surprise "The Royalist faction? Impossible. The local criers have said that Albion's Royalist faction was losing in the civil war."

"Tell them their information is outdated. The Royalists won that war a while ago. We're just using this ship in the place of a passenger ship due to our lack of resources."

"…" The officer, initially suspicious of the youthful captain, now found himself at a loss for words.

"Carry on?" Saito deadpanned.

"C-carry on…" the embarrassed officer tipped his hat before dismissing the equally embarrassed guards.

As they left, a member of Saito's crew hollered out to him "Excuse me, sir, but the nobility aboard the passenger's quarters are still asleep. Do you want us to tell them the voyage is over?"

"Just kick them out, they weren't paying for fare anyway." Saito said indifferently. "They also have enough money to hail a carriage, so don't pay them any mind."

The crew member nodded as Julio, along with Domani and Wales, started walking down the gangplank.

"You seem to be as cold ever." Julio stated blatantly as he got onto the port.

"You expect any different of me?"

"Actually, I expected you to be harsher, to say the least." Julio admitted with a shrug.

Saito rolled his eyes, not even wanting to comment "So, is there an Assassin Bureau in this town? We need to give them a head's up about our arrival."

Julio looked over at his partner Domani, who said "There should be one near the east entrance to town."

"Alright then, let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>At the Bureau entrance<strong>

"Are the entrances to the bureaus… uh… normally on the roof?" Wales asked quizzically, the entire Assassin party standing atop a small building, with the bureau entrance below their feet "And did we really need to get on top of the building? I mean, didn't we see a door to it anyway?"

"The original bureaus usually had doors and windows, but then they later sealed them off with stone, presumably to prevent civilians or guards to find it." Domani said matter-of-factly, as he and Saito pried the hatch open and watched porn.

"So you're saying the doors are fakes then."

"This is a tradition Wales, don't question it," Saito said as he grabbed Wales by the collar and jumped in. dragging both of them within, their fall cushioned by a sizable bale of hay.

"See?" Saito emerged from the bale of hay, pulling a disoriented Wales up "Couldn't be that simple-"

_*Clack*_

_*Shing*_

_*Clack*_

_*Shing*_

_*Clack*_

_*Shing*_

As they emerged, the two found themselves completely surrounded by at least twenty armed Assassins, each brandishing a blade or a firearm, all aimed at them.

"Though it usually doesn't involve friendly fire," Saito deadpanned. He couldn't really blame them however, as they were technically still dressed as nobility.

"Stand down, brothers." Julio and Domani ducked their heads into the entrance "The blond one is a noble-turned-trainee from Albion, the other one is an Assassin from the 'other side' who's currently in disguise."

The Tristainian Assassins, identifying the two as Assassins, reluctantly lowered their weapons, some of them letting out the occasional "Sorry" before helping them up.

As the two regained their bearings, and as the two Romalian Assassins fell in after them, one of the elder Assassins, an old fox wearing faded white robes, approached.

"Please excuse them, the Mentor instructed for the Assassins in this city to be ready for anything should our brothers in Albion fall." The elder Assassin bowed "I am Master Assassin Hercule Rodenbach, head of this Assassin Bureau." He looked at Saito with weary eyes "I know of you. You have become very famous in Tristain."

Saito blinked in surprise "Exactly how famous am I?"

"Well, to say that a majority of your actions have been overt would be a complete understatement." The old Assassin said with a tired expression "Though I doubt you came here for an evaluation of your skills."

"No, I'm just here to give a report on Albion's status." Saito replied.

"If that's the case," Master Rodenbach opened a door and welcomed him in "Let's talk about it in my office. Your teammates can resupply on munitions or simply chat if they want to."

"Alright then," Saito walked in and took a seat, watching as Master Rodenbach closed the door behind him "The Civil War in Albion has been resolved, with the Royalist faction emerging victorious. However, the Albionese Assassins have suffered tremendous losses; only 500 members of the branch have survived and, according to Master Ellicott, a majority of their safe-houses have either been destroyed or ransacked. The Assassins do have complete influence over Albion, as they forever have the Nobility's gratitude. From how I saw it, they really want to learn from the Assassins should another rebellion break out again. Though, considering that we're talking about nobles, I'm not sure how long this will last."

"So, you were sent by them to request support for our brothers in Albion, no?"

A drop of sweat rolled down Saito's forehead "Actually… no. I don't think she even knows I'm here. Hell, if she realizes who I brought with me, I would probably be in a lot of trouble-"

_*BOOM!*_

Saito and Master Rodenbach stood up in alarm "What the hell's going on back there?" they quickly ran up to the door, finding the entire bureau covered in a deep smoke.

"What's going on, are we being attacked?"

"_*cough* *cough*_No sir, _*cough*_" One of the Tristainian Assassins said between coughs "Some idiot accidentally ignited a smoke bomb. Don't worry, it'll clear up after a while…"

However, as the smoke cleared, almost all Assassins were accounted for, except for a certain, noble one.

"Julio," Saito grasped his shoulders with great urgency "Where's Wales?"

"Huh?"

"Look around," Julio frantically looked around; the only donned in regal attire would stand out compared to the Assassins, yet here they were, and no noble in sight.

"Oh crap, where did he go?" he said as he stared up at the bureau entrance.

The Japanese Assassin parted from his long lost friend and started to panic "This is bad. This is really, really bad."

"Should the Order be concerned?" Master Rodenbach asked, trying to brush away some of the leftover smoke.

Saito sighed, knowing fully of the consequences that were about to unfold because of his mistake "Yes, the noble recruit I brought wasn't just some noble recruit, that was the crown prince of Albion, Wales Tudor. I had full custody over him, so I thought I could use him to help me practice commanding a battleship. Also, the Assassins obtained a Man o' War Class Battleship, but that's beside the point. Anyway, he suggested that I should go back to Tristain, as for a cover, I needed to send some students back there anyway. It was a betrayal of my own instincts as an Assassin to even bring him here in the first place."

"…" Master Rodenbach stared at him with a grave expression "That is an urgent case indeed. I will send for our best trackers to retrieve him. As for you-"

"Allow me to track him down myself. I know where he is going, and I will take any punishment after he is secured."

"…"

"Master Assassin, believe me, I can track him down. Allow me to amend my mistake. I know where he's going, and I can extract him just as easily as I brought him in." he looked into Master Rodenbach's eyes "Trust me."

"…" The old Master Rodenbach glanced back at Saito with tired eyes. Unlike The Mentor, who recruited him all those decades ago, he himself was getting far too old for this job "Alright, I shall issue the mission. However, once you extract him, you will report to the Tristainian HQ to receive further contact from there. Should you fail, you and your team shall face capital punishment from The Mentor himself."

Saito nodded with a grim expression "I shall not let you down." Taking a set of smoke bombs from a nearby table, he signaled for Julio and Domani to follow him before climbing out of the window.

Leaving the bureau, Saito quickly leapt onto another building "Julio, was somebody talking about Henrietta's upcoming wedding?"

"Well, now that you mention it, I did overhear a conversation about the upcoming wedding. Apparently, the emperor of Germania has no true love for her, and only lusts for her body." Julio muttered, jumping and clinging onto the ledge.

"That's not even mentioning how the alliance practically says 'we sell you our princess, you protect our assets.'" Domani commented as he leapt onto the roof and helped Julio up.

"There's Wales' reasoning to be here; their words were only the spark that set him off." Saito said as the three Assassins kept running through the rooftops until they reached the town exit "Jeez, if benevolent nobility act like this, I'm scared of what malevolent nobility are capable of."

* * *

><p><strong>Three days later, Tristain Castle<strong>

Henrietta sat upon her throne, staring intently at the doors to the throne room. Every day since she sent Louise and her familiar to Albion, she had been worried sick, hoping for good news… any news from her beloved Wales. With the wedding between her and Emperor Albrecht III of Germania in two months' time, and all contact with Albion going dark, every second of not knowing the fate of her old flame was tearing away at her on the inside.

"Presenting, all the way from Vindobana, Germania; the Great Albrecht III of Germania!" The herald announced as the Germanian Emperor, followed by an extravagant entourage, made his way through the throne, the grandiose doors closing behind him.

But for now, she had to bear with/endure a visit from her fiancée from Germania. In her mind, she begged the Founder to have mercy on her soul.

"Ah, Emperor Albrecht, it is a pleasure to see you." She somehow managed to say without heaving out her luncheon.

"Please, the honor is all mine, your highness." Albrecht III said, licking his lips lecherously. The Germanian Emperor, without a doubt, wasn't by any means an attractive man, with only his lechery exceeding his unattractiveness. Yet, in spite of this, his country's military might is something Tristain dearly wants, especially with a war with Albion possible.

"I expected to see you the eve of the wedding." The princess said with a tang of disgust, wishing that she was anywhere else, even the elf-infested Holy Land, and not here.

"Is it wrong for one to see his own fiancée before the wedding?" the Germanian Emperor said, his eyes focused more on Henrietta's ample chest rather than her eyes.

"Well-"

_*SLAM!*_

Before Henrietta could finish, the doors to the throne room flung wide open.

"Emperor Albrecht III," the Assassin Prince known as Wales walked in with a royal swagger, before drawing his wand and pointing his wand at the fat Emperor "I challenge you to a duel for Henrietta's hand!"

Gasps echoed throughout the throne room, be it whether due to Wales' presence or his bold declaration. Regardless, his very presence was enough to grab everyone's attention.

Henrietta's eyes widened in shock "Wales?!" this was the last thing that she could have ever expected; her very own cousin, no, her very lover Wales, was standing here, in her very home, challenging the emperor for her hand. She was crossed between mentally screaming for joy and wondering _how _he managed to get here in the first place.

Emperor Albrecht III, on the other hand, grew offended, and pointed his own wand at Wales "Well, well, well, the prince of a divided country, here of all places? You sure have the gall to abandon your own country in its time of need."

"A true noble would never abandon his country!" Wales declared with a hint of disdain in his voice "I already put down that unholy rebellion many days ago! My only reason for being here is for the princess' hand in marriage.

"!" Henrietta gasped in horror. Surely Wales wouldn't announce their very own scandal to the emperor and risk Tristain losing its alliance with Germania… would he? The alliance isn't actually needed anymore, but still!

"If you must know, before the Civil War, I once saw Henrietta at a dinner party." Wales turned to Henrietta, and then back to Albrecht, a smirk on his face.

'Oh no,' Henrietta's worries started to grow; they both met at a dinner party 'please don't tell me you're going to reveal it!'

"However, I was unable to confess to her even since I laid eyes on her, and have only been able to watch her blossom from a distance."

…

…

…

'…Huh?' Now Henrietta's worries turned into confusion. He was basically admitting that he was not her lover, but her stalker (or a stalker's noble equivalent?) Whatever Wales was planning was now lost on her.

Albrecht III, however, found it all the more entertaining "Ha! All your words in my ears tell me that you are nothing more than a depraved pervert who had nothing better to do than whack one to someone you never truly met! How ridiculous!" he started to laugh, encouraging his entourage to do the same.

Yet Wales was unfettered, standing confidently with his wand still trained at the Germanian emperor "You still haven't answered me, Emperor. Will you accept the duel?"

Emperor Albrecht sneered "Of course! I accept your challenge! However," he snapped his fingers, and one of his entourage, a heavily armored knight armed with a lance-staff, approached him, his metal greaves clanking with every step "Since we are nobles, we must use a proxy to fight our battles for us."

Wales looked at the Germanian knight with confusion "You do realize that your knight is surely a noble himself, right?"

The large Emperor grinned deviously "Of course! And since you it is illegal for nobles to duel, you must have a commoner fight in your place! So tell me prince, name one who is willing to fight in your stead. I mean, it would be an honor for any commoner to die for a prince such as yourself, am I not wrong?"

Wales paled; clearly, he had not thought this through. "Umm… umm…"

"I'll fight for him…"

Everyone turned; a young hooded figure was leaning dangerously on the windowsill, staring back at them.

Saito stepped down and walked towards Wales "I don't mind fighting for you." He said before whispering into the ear of his _kōhai _"We're going to talk later." He whispered, his voice hiding his rage.

Albrecht III just raised a brow "And who might you be?"

"Milord," the Germanian knight interrupted "I believe that the commoner before us is the revolutionary who has been terrorizing this country's nobility as of late."

Henrietta blinked "What?!" If Saito was the one who was behind the deaths of Count Mott and Lord Turenne (Not that she really minded, they were amongst the country's corrupt nobility after all), then it meant she had sent some sort of assassin to retrieve Wales!

Albrecht III's jaw dropped "What?! How do you know who he is?!" he demanded.

"Sir, I believe we passed a handful of wanted posters of him when we landed here." The knight said flatly, twirling his staff before aiming it at the young Assassin "Though I wonder if he is genuinely here to help us, or if he's here to kill us all."

"Your words offend me, knight." Saito spat venomously "If you honestly assume I kill all sorts of people without relent, then you are mistaken. The only ones I kill are people who do more harm than good for the people. If you actually bothered to look over the nobles, the only ones I assassinated were perhaps the worst people the country had to offer, ones who had to die in order to make the people truly free." Saito drew both Derflinger and his machete before letting both blades at his side, taking a neutral position. "The same case applies here; if anyone here succumbs to their emotions, they will drag their country into a pointless and tragic war. My only purpose here to prevent just that."

The knight's expression, though hidden under his helmet, was one of surprise. The commoner had a sense of honor; a strange one that permitted the murder of the nobility, but a sense of honor nonetheless.

Albrecht III, also seeing Saito's "twisted" sense of honor, huffed in arrogance "Well, no matter. A commoner, even a mage killer such as yourself, shall have no chance against my knight, Erich von Falkenhayn!"

Saito looked at the Germanian knight "Oh, so that's your name." he twirled the machete in his left hand before adjusting his stance; his short blade facing his opponent, and his sword facing the sky "Well then Falkenhayn, are you ready to face your last dance?"

"I have no intention to die here." The knight known as Falkenhayn readied his staff, holding its tip toward the ground. Much like most knights, Falkenhayn was trained in melee combat. Coupled with his armor and his magic, he himself a square earth mage, even a trained mage killer shouldn't be able to stand up to him.

"Yeah, well neither do I." Saito held his ground, his exotic stance holding firm "Draw."

Almost immediately, Falkenhayn cast a powerful line earth spell "Stone spike!"

A small, malformed clump of earth slowly rose from the ground, a complete far cry from any sort of stone spike, before anticlimactically falling to the ground.

"You say that you have a large spike, but all I see is a tiny brown clump."

Saito snarked, the effects of the Halkenginian Assassin Seal protecting him from Falkenhayn's magic.

"_Ima... Jūbun'na!_ (Now… enough of this)!"

* * *

><p><strong>Seconds after the duel started<strong>

"Hey, did we miss it?"

Wales turned around, finding Julio and Domani walking inconspicuously into the throne room.

"Oh… you two are here." The young prince started backing away as the Italian and the Romalian Assassins approached him.

"You caused us a lot of trouble, _Principe_ (Prince)." Domani circled behind Wales, preventing further escape.

"You do realize your actions could have gotten you killed, right?" Julio put one hand on Wales' shoulder, gripping it tightly. "We just played off a hunch of ours just to find you. If anything, we could have assumed you died seconds after you left."

A drop of sweat fell from Wales' head "Um, I'm sorry-"

"Keep your hollow apologies to yourself." Julio's grip tightened, pinching into a pressure point "If you died, you would have jeopardized the Order- company's relationship with the Royalist faction, and here we find you screwing with Tristain and Germania's relationship."

"Uh-"

"You know, if we didn't come back with you alive, we would be facing capital punishment from _il nostro capo _(our boss). But now, if something messes up, we will have a completely avoidable war on our hands." Julio and Domani shuddered "I don't even want to know what the punishment is for doing something so stupid."

Wales paled "What?! My country can't survive a consecutive war with all the chaos of the civil war."

"Calm down," Julio let go of Wales' shoulder "The Seal he's wearing not only disrupts any magic in a specific radius, it also should be able to protect him from quite a few lethal hits if he wanted to. As long as Saito wins this, you can prevent them from making a move. _If_ they're the type to be honor bound, that is."

Wales gulped, the weight of his mistakes finally dawning upon him. He silently prayed to the Founder Brimir for Saito's victory.

* * *

><p>"<em>Ima... Jūbun'na!<em> (Now… Enough of this!)"

Saito sped towards Falkenhayn, who was still overcome with shock on his magic's ineffectiveness, with both blades dragging on behind him, before bringing down both blades, one after another, upon the stunned knight.

Falkenhayn, snapping out of his shock, barely managed to protect himself as the force of impact nearly knocked the staff out of his hands.

_*SHING!*_

_*THWACK!*_

Now Falkenhayn found himself on the defensive, with Saito relentlessly coming at him from all directions. He had to admit, despite his current position, the revolutionary's swordsmanship was something else. His unique dual blade style allowed for him to perfectly balance offense and defense. If his falchion was used to defend, the machete was already ready for a counterattack, and vice versa. With this unyielding offensive, he was unable to even put a simple spell to protect himself. If he wasn't on the receiving end of this, he would've considered it a style worthy to defend Royalty.

Several minutes passed, with Saito slowly but surely whittling away at Falkenhayn's defenses, until-

_*SNAP!*_

Falkenhayn's staff split in half, finally giving way to the excessive damage to its frame.

"Checkmate."

Saito flipped backwards, kicking Falkenhayn's helmet off before, in one fluid motion, sheathing his two blades and drawing his USP, placing the barrel right between the Germanian knight's eyes.

…

…

…

Moments passed, the immense tension still in the air. A mere commoner has just bested one of the best knights of all of Germania, right then and there.

…

…

…

"No…"

Saito finally spoke, no emotion to be found in his voice.

"I ain't a cold-blooded killer; taking an unnecessary life goes against what I believe in." He walked away from Falkenhayn and approached Emperor Albrecht III, who was shaking in panic, instead "As for you," he swatted the emperor's wand away, grabbed him by the neck and aimed his USP at his groin, letting out this final warning:

"Look here, you fat piece of shit, I don't care if you are the Emperor of Germania or some deranged monster bent on world domination, I want to get something straight. You will break off this crazy political marriage and let Henrietta and the stalker Wales here marry if they so wish. You will not declare war on neither Tristain nor Albion with "they cheated me out of my marriage" or any crappy excuse you may come up with. If even one soldier of yours so much as _breathes_ the same air they do, so help you God, I will personally walk over to Germania and turn everything and everyone within against you. Your country will burn. Your nobility will perish. You shall lose everything that makes you a man. And, worst of all, everything your ancestors spent generations to achieve shall cease to exist. JUST. LIKE. THAT. Do I make myself clear?"

Albrecht III, along with everyone else in the room, froze in terror.

_That wasn't a threat._

_That wasn't even a promise._

_That was a __**guarantee**_.

"Y… yes… I understand."

"Good," he holstered his USP and threw the rotund emperor onto the ground "Now get out of my sight."

He watched as the Emperor scurried back to his feet, a noticeably large stain in his pants, and hastily ran out, his entourage following suit.

Watching the "great emperor" scurry away, Saito's attention then came onto Wales and Henrietta, who watched the whole duel, beginning to end.

"Saito, I-"

"You can apologize to me along with everyone else you nearly screwed over any time after you're done. You had something else you had to say, didn't you?"

Wales blinked in confusion "I beg your pardon?"

"You had something to say to Henrietta, involving your rings, didn't you?"

He pointed to the wind and water rings worn on the Assassin prince's hand.

Wales was still puzzled "What do you mean by-" and then it suddenly clicked "Oh, now I remember." He laughed with faux embarrassment "with all this excitement, I almost forgot what I came here for."

He removed the Ruby Ring of Wind from his hand, got on one knee, and said perhaps the most important words he had ever said in his life.

"Henrietta, I have been in love with you since we were kids. Ever since then, I knew I had to make you mine. I cannot imagine any future without you. You changed my life in so many ways, more than you could ever possibly imagine. I now want you to be mine forever. Henrietta, will you marry me?"

…

…

…

"…yes…"

* * *

><p><strong>Weapons unlocked!<strong>

**Smoke bombs: a staple of any Assassin's arsenal. This type of bomb is nonlethal, but it can release a dark cloud of smoke that can stun and distract all enveloped in its wake. Saito obtained these from the La Rochelle Assassin Bureau.**

**Composition: impact casing, phosphorus, Germanian (L) gunpowder**

**On hand: 5/5**

**A/N: Okay, it's been six months since I updated this fic… wow… yeah, sorry about that. I was working on this for a while now, but I had to constantly change it over and over again because I didn't like it. Not to mention a shitload of schoolwork (I'm a junior in high school) so I have a lot of work just about always, but that's something else. I bet you didn't see any of this coming, didn't you? Yeah, sorry about the late update. Well, I'll try to update sooner next time.** **Anyways, thank you for the 200+ reviews, and keep them coming.**


	11. Cooldown

**Assassin in the Void**

**By psychored1911**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed or Familiar of Zero **

**Have you actually noticed that you guys know very little about the Assassin Saito? No seriously, look back at my previous chapters if you have to; the most I established about his past was that he was born in Osaka, was childhood friends with Julio, went to a training facility somewhere south of Moscow, and had an elder sister. Besides a couple other things I probably left out, that's pretty much the gist of it. I gave a little bio for Julio and Domani, and I'm planning on updating the earlier chapters with a bio for some of the OCs, but I haven't even done much to elaborate on Saito's past. It's pretty weird once you think about it.**

**Yeah, despite its length, not much happens in this chapter. Yeah, not gonna lie, it's mainly just administrative and political stuff.**

**Chapter 11: Cooldown**

* * *

><p><strong>Tristain Castle, throne room<strong>

"…yes…"

Tears of joy fell from Henrietta's eyes.

"Yes, I will marry you Wales." She cried as she embraced the Crown Prince, the two exchanging their rings as they did "Yes, thank you for making the happiest woman alive."

And at that moment the two royals came together in a tender, loving embrace, with their worries disappearing, if only for those precious seconds.

After what seemed like an eternity, the two slowly separated from each other, both with a blush on their faces.

"Don't worry my love," Wales reassured his beloved Henrietta "I need to go right now, but I promise I will come back for you. This I swear." Wales promised her.

"As shall I." Henrietta blushed once more as she planted a soft kiss upon her lover's lips.

And by this point, the Assassin team watching finally had enough.

"Oh, save it for the wedding!" Saito yelled as he yanked Wales away, the lovey-dovey scene getting _far_ too long winded for his tastes.

As he dragged the love-struck Wales out of the throne room, he could hear him say "Don't worry, we'll start planning the wedding after I finish my business with Saito here-"

_*BZZZZZZT!*_

Wales began to spasm uncontrollably before collapsing into Saito's arms, unconscious.

"Wales!" Henrietta exclaimed, completely alarmed.

"Don't worry, he'll be up and at em' again in a couple hours." Saito reassured her as he inconspicuously retracted his shock blade and dragged the unconscious Wales out of the throne room, leaving Henrietta to stand there awkwardly with Julio and Domani.

"…Well," A drop of sweat rolled down Julio's forehead as he awkwardly shifted towards the door "Anyways, may the Founder bless your future marriage, and remind Cardinal Mazarin that his yearly review is in another three weeks." He quickly bowed and hastily ran after his childhood friend, with Domani quickly running after him.

"…How long were they there?" Henrietta asked herself, the only one who hadn't notice Julio and Domani enter during the duel. "Well, no matter." She told herself as she, like any girl of her young age, began daydreaming of her perfect wedding with the love of her life.

* * *

><p><strong>Sometime later, at an undisclosed location, Tristain<strong>

"Well, here we are." Julio said as the team made it to the Tristainian Assassin HQ.

"…" Saito, who was carrying the unconscious Wales upon his back, looked around the headquarters. In his eyes, it looked like the lands of a noble rather than An Assassin stronghold, with commoners working on the land's vineyards "What exactly am I supposed to be looking at? This looks more like a noble's summer home than anything."

"Well, from how I heard it, the former Lord of this land, Lord of Des Ornières, was an ally of the Assassins and signed the land over to The Mentor when he died." Domani exclaimed "In fact, these lands contribute to a fair amount of revenue for the Company; about tens of thousands of ecu."

"What's more, most of the workers here are Assassins as well; I hear that the eldest workers here were among the ones that served with The Mentor when the Halkenginian Brotherhood first began." Julio added. To drive the point home, Julio quickly motioned to his androgynous partner, who whistled as loud as he could.

_*TWEET!*_

At the sound of the signal, every worker within earshot stopped and gave them their strict attention.

"_Ci riposiamo nostro caso._ (We rest our case.)" Julio said as he quickly dismissed the Assassin workers.

As the Assassins continued their business, another figure approached them. Said figure was a woman in her mid-late 30's, with long, auburn hair and dark eyes, and a black Tristainian Assassin uniform, with a pistol sword, three break action pistols and a set of throwing knives across her belt. Despite her calm, almost parent-like demeanor, she seemed to hold a formidable aura about her, one that demanded complete and utter respect.

As the woman walked over to them, Wales woke from his slumber "Uhh… how long was I out- oof!" he groaned as Saito rudely dropped him onto the ground.

"Stand up straight, we're in the presence of a Master Assassin!"

Julio urged as Wales scrambled to his feet, the Master Assassin came closer, stopping within three feet of their position.

"I am Marciella Louette, Master Assassin and current leader of the Tristainian Assassins." The Assassin introduced herself with a calm demeanor "Now, I request that you relay the events that had transpired between your arrival and your meeting with Master Rodenbach at the La Rochelle Bureau."

…

"…I'll explain it to her…" Saito said reluctantly.

"…" Master Louette folded her arms "And you are?"

"I am Saito Hiraga, the Assassin that caused a lot of controversy recently." He bowed respectfully.

"Very well, let us hear your story. I need to speak with you privately after your report anyway." Master Louette patiently listened to the Assassin's tale.

"Okay, here goes…" Saito took a deep breath and continued his tale "We came over to Tristain to make a status report on Albion, but when we made a report to Master Rodenbach at the La Rochelle Bureau, Wales over there fled and made his way to Tristain Castle." He pointed at Wales, who sheepishly waved back at them. "Anyways, by the time we caught up with him, he had instigated a duel with the emperor of Germania. Naturally, we had to bail him out, and long story short, the military alliance between Tristain and Germania was replaced with one between Tristain and Albion."

"…" Master Louette stayed quiet, before unfolding her arms "You lot; follow me into my office."

* * *

><p><strong>At the same time, at an undisclosed location, Gallia<strong>

Kriistina Sheffield, of the Inner Sanctum of Templar Order, stood stoically before the Master Templars/Elite Abstergo Agents of Albion.

"Foxtrot Leader, I need a damage report; what was our losses in Albion?" she sternly demanded.

"Because of the sudden evacuation, all our influence, along in Albion was eradicated once Reconquista and Echo Team fell to the Assassins. Not only that, due to our haste, the chances that we might've left some important documents and technologies in our old bases aren't slim."

Commander Sheffield growled before resting her palm upon her face "Damn, those Assassins have the home field advantage in this end of the war." She muttered "Do we at least have any good news for the rest of us to work with?"

Foxtrot leader nodded as he presented Sheffield with what looked like an antique music box. "Well, we managed to recover this. It is called the Founder's music box. According to sources, it is supposed to identify "void mages", them being the only ones who could hear its music. Apparently, it is one of the sacred treasures of Albion."

"And the void mage associated with it?"

"Unfortunately, we were forced to evacuate before we could acquire any further information." Foxtrot leader said dejectedly.

Sheffield sighed "Well, at least we didn't suffer a total loss in Albion. Alright, you're dismissed."

"Yes sir!" the Leaders of Foxtrot, Golf and Hotel teams saluted.

"May the Father of Understanding guide you," Sheffield blessed as her fellow Templars filed out of the meeting room one by one. With them gone, she called out "Luce, you were watching that whole exchange, weren't you?"

As she spoke, a young girl with white hair and blue eyes dropped from the building's framework and kneeled before the Master Templar "Forgive me if I was at fault, master."

"There is no need." Commander Sheffield calmly placed her hand on her shoulders "This side of the war is far different than it was on the 'other side', but it eventually be placed under those who would truly bring this world into an everlasting peace." She said with an absolute gentle tone. Much like true Templars, she was truly disgusted with how the nobility had run this continent. With such marvels like their magical creatures and magic, they would be the foundation of great sciences and civilizations. But instead, all it led to was the tyrannical dominion of the mages over the so-called commoners. It was far too similar to what the Modern Templars such as herself call 'The Dark Age of the Order', otherwise known as the Age of the Borgia. Despite their rather dubious means, the Templar Order intended to serve the greater good, but what the nobility and church was doing, it was too appalling for either the Assassins or the Templars to tolerate. And it truly meant something if these two lifelong enemies would _agree_ on the nobles' atrociousness.

"Also, there is also the issue of apprehending the Valliere girl." Luce pointed out.

"Well, since taking her by force will only provoke the Assassin she summoned, our spies suggested to take it slow and let her into the Order on her own free terms. We cannot afford to take any chances here."

"I find it foolish that we are still keeping him informed, master Sheffield." Luce argued.

"Our allies believe he is our best bet in retrieving the void mage without thoroughly arousing the Assassins' suspicions."

"If I may insert my opinion, I wish to be sent to Tristain and… '_handle'_ the Assassin problem." Luce offered. If a single Assassin, one who couldn't be any older or younger than she was, was able to cause so much trouble for the Templar Order, then he would make a worthy opponent to someone like her.

"Unless my agents royally screw up in Tristain and are unable to handle a single Assassin boy, then your job is to stay here and assist with the war here." Sheffield stated as she looked into the window, the twin moons glowing beautifully, watching them endlessly like the eyes of god.

She pulled out her radio "Kilo team, this is command, over."

_*This is Kilo leader, over.*_

"You reported the possibility of P.O.E. in the Tristain Magical Academy, right?"

_*That is correct, over.*_

"Then in that case, you have full authorization to retrieve the P.O.E., and do it covertly."

_*And the Valliere girl?*_

"The Assassin Familiar's suspicions were already aroused when we after her once before. If our research into the Familiar System is correct, then all that will do is invoke the familiar's runes and alert them to their master's location. If we did the same here, we will just be leading them right to us. If we want her on our side, she must come to us willingly. Do not engage under any circumstance. In the off chance, your team encounters her, you are permitted to suppressing her, nothing else. The P.O.E is our top priority."

_*Acknowledged. Deploying a retrieval squad now.*_

* * *

><p><strong>At the same time, Tristain Academy of Magic<strong>

"Now class, as you know, the uses of fire magic…"

Louise, who returned to the Academy a while ago, halfheartedly wrote down notes to her class. But now, her heart was not into studying right now. Instead, she was far more curious about her familiar, no, Saito. Ever since he convinced (forced) her to break her familiar contract, Saito seemed to be slightly more amiable. He still told her nothing about her, but at least he wasn't openly hostile to her. During their time aboard the Royal Sovereign, they actually seemed to be able to hold actual conversations with each other and such. It seemed like all that tension and mutual hatred for each other just… vanished.

* * *

><p><strong>A few days back, aboard the Royal Sovereign<strong>

"Louise…" Saito called out, carrying a small package under his arms "Here." he shoved it into her arms.

"Huh?" Louise opened up the package, finding an ornate flower vase inside "What is this?"

"It's to replace that knockoff of a flower vase you had." He told her.

"That doesn't explain how you knew it was a knockoff. The man who sold it to me said it was an original from Germania." Louise said as she examined the new vase.

"If you bothered to look at the vase yourself, then you would have noticed some oddities amongst the vase." Saito said as he started to explain the difference between antiques and knockoffs "You see, I could tell that higher quality vases would most likely be made by earth mages or professional artisans, who would use their magic or special techniques while using high quality ceramics, whereas your vase seemed to have been made by an apprentice glass blower, due to the notable cracks, the frailness of the material and the fact it was painted on with a poor quality paint."

Louise stood there, dumbfounded "How the hell would you know something like that?"

"I have hobbies too, you know." Was his simple answer before he went off to do his own duties.

* * *

><p>"Alright then class, you're dismissed. Except for you Miss Valliere, as well as Mr. Gramont, Miss Zerbst, and Tabitha. I need to speak with you."<p>

Louise broke off that train of thought as Colbert dismissed most of the class. After the last student had already left, Colbert approached the ones who had ditched class for a week.

"Now, it has come to my attention that you have skipped school recently. As a teacher, I am very disappointed in this lack of conscientiousness." Colbert scolded. "As the ones who are to become Halkenginia's future, they are expected to master the art of magic at a prestigious academy such as this."

"…Sorry…"

Louise and her friends said sheepishly.

"Now, I know it is not within my rights to know what you were doing, but according to Old Osmond, I still need to punish you for your truancy." He beamed at them "That is why, to make up for your lost days, you are to accompany me on a research trip on the coming summer vacation!"

…

…

…

"Huh?"

Louise, Kirche, and Guiche stuttered, dumbfounded. That was their punishment for truancy?

"Doesn't want to be lonely when he goes on trip."

Tabitha deadpanned as Colbert flinched.

"W-What?! N-No! It's not like I want to be alone…" Colbert stuttered as he hastily regained his composure "A-Anyways, bringing you onto this trip will be good for you. You will learn much on my research trip. It will more than make up for the days you lost!" he smiled like the fair teacher he was. "Well, that was all I needed to say. I would suggest packing in advance. The trip is going to last about one week. More than enough time for you to prepare for Princess Henrietta's coming wedding with Emperor Albrecht III!" Well, he was right about the wedding part. But unbeknownst to any of them, Henrietta's betrothed had been changed due to a certain familiar boy. "Anyways, that was all I needed to tell you. You are now dismissed."

* * *

><p><strong>Master Louette's office<strong>

The quarters of a Master Assassin often will tell one much of that Assassin's history. Upon one wall, one can see the various mementos of the fallen, either of eliminated targets or slain allies. Upon the other, one could see several bookshelves lined with records upon records, tome upon tome, all archived in plain sight; obviously decoys to hide the real things, with the real archives likely hidden behind the bookshelf or somewhere else. And if one looks at the back, one can see a couple old armors and uniforms, damages and patching showing the experience one went through during their years.

But, now wasn't the best time to be awestruck.

The four of them were sitting in a couple of chairs and staring directly at Master Louette, who was deep in thought.

"So," Master Louette spoke after several minutes of silence "You do realize the repercussions of your actions, do you not? Even a single slip up would have brought for complete and total war between the three countries, all for such stupid reasons."

The three trained Assassins shifted uncomfortably in their seats, knowing the incident would have been a disaster hadn't they intervened. Wales, however, boldly stood up and said "I would like to apologize in regards to my actions; I convinced and/or tricked Saito here to bring me to Tristain. Every event that occurred has been because of me. I humbly apologize and take full responsibility."

The three younger Assassins looked surprised with Wales' bold words. Master Louette, on the other hand, was impressed that a noble such as Wales was more than willing to admit his actions.

"You're much different than most nobles if you're willing to take the consequences of your actions." Master Louette noted "However, your actions did break the second [hide in plain sight] and third tenet [never compromise the brotherhood] of the creed: the second was for making your presence and your recent actions known, the third for making your fellow Assassin come and break the second tenet to save your sorry ass. Not to mention nearly breaking the first tenet [do not kill an innocent] to a _severe_ degree if that war came to fruition. Under normal circumstances, I would have to execute you for this, but because your death would compromise our alliance with the Royalist faction, I won't do this."

"Phew," Wales sighed in relief.

"Instead, I'll just have you sent back to Albion; I believe that both the Assassins and the Royalists are furious that the prince ran off for his own selfish purposes instead of supporting his war-torn country, and they will be glad to get their little prince back."

Wales immediately paled at the connotations of her words, but took a deep breath and sighed "Very well, I understand."

"As for you three," Master Louette focused her attention on Saito, Julio, and Domani "Even with this disaster averted, I am still supposed to punish you for your actions…" Her voice trailed off "However, one of the elders appealed for your leniency, and as a result, your punishment is merely to reflect on your mistakes and await a redemption mission from some of the higher ups. Until then, you are unable to take any further assignments or leave the compound."

Julio and Domani sighed in relief, but all this did was arouse Saito's confusion "Excuse me, but why are we let off the hook so easily? Didn't we break several tenets of the Creed?"

"Correction, the crown prince was the only one besides you who broke the tenets of the Creed. And your breaking of the second tenet can be justified because you had to save another Assassin from his blunders. Which reminds me, you have a secondary assignment; take down those wanted posters of yourself the next time you're at Tristainia."

"That still doesn't explain why we are let off so relatively easily-" Before Saito could finish, Julio and Domani hastily covered up his mouth and yanked him into his seat, preventing him from making his punishment worse for himself.

Ignoring that little outburst, Master Louette mellowed out and calmed down "Well, I do hope you make yourself comfortable; you will be here for a while."

* * *

><p><strong>Sometime later, Des Orniéres mess hall<strong>

After they had met with Master Louette, she told the three trained Assassins to go on off and take a break while she discussed transferring arrangements with Wales. So now, they just made it to the mess hall for a quick luncheon.

"…" Saito, who silently prodded at a shepherd's pie (a common peasant dish made of mashed potato and meat), quietly thought of their lenient judgment.

"You seem pretty down for someone granted mercy for our mistakes." Domain commented as he ate a bite of bistecca (Romalian beefsteak).

"Well, he's used to being punished for his mistakes, so the idea of leniency, even for the slightest mistakes, is pretty foreign for him. Just let him be." Julio mentioned as he consumed a bowl of polenta (cornmeal made into a porridge) before asking "Hey, you gonna eat that?"

"_Dōzo osakini._ (Go ahead.)" Saito muttered as Julio took his shepherd's pie and started eating it "So, how are you guys just okay with that? I mean, during one of the few times it happened, the Assassin still was stripped of his rank and equipment before going on a large manhunt that went throughout the entire region!"

Julio took a bite out of the shepherd's pie "Well, if you ask me, I think that everything you did even without knowledge of the Order's presence gave you a free pass from the council." He took another forkful of shepherd's pie and gulped it down "As for me, I'm one of their only connections to the Brimiric Church, so they can't take me out. And as for Domani over here… Well, he kind of monitors my mental health."

"What for?"

Julio sighed and removed the glove on his right hand, revealing his familiar runes once again. "You see these runes we have? Well, even if we stay true to the creed, the Order will almost never be sure that we can be trusted, we're loose cannons to them, all because of these damn runes. With these _maladetto_ (damned) things on our hands, we can decimate armies for the ones we serve, but because of them, we are bound to those summoners. I don't know about you, but the Romalian Assassins had to do some really risky ritual to disrupt the rune that brainwashed me, which worked by the way, they still don't completely trust me. So if I even get the urge to bend to the will of my so-called "master", Domani is here to snap me back into reality, or if worse comes to worse, kill me."

Saito stared at the two in shock "Wow, that's really something…"

"Trust me, he shows no signs of ever being willingly obedient to that self-righteous _bastardo_ (bastard). The ironic thing is, his true allegiance is to a Creed that has no affiliation whatsoever to the Church, and he's one of the _least_ corrupt members of the clergy." Domani laughed halfheartedly.

"…That sounds… oddly believable, to say the least." Thinking back, Saito knew how corrupt the Catholic Church was back in the Renaissance period, so something like this doesn't really surprise him.

"Sad truth if you ask me." Julio smiled sadly before he finished the rest of his shepherd's pie "Knowing your situation, they'll probably assign an Assassin to monitor you too."

"So, in the end, we're going to be watched for probably the rest of our lives, barely trusted by the organization we gave our lives for since we drew our first breath." Saito deadpanned in a depressed tone.

"That's a dark way to look at it, but you can see it like that…"

…

…

…

The rest of the meal was spent in a depressing silence.

* * *

><p><strong>Later that night<strong>

"…" Saito, who left Julio and Domani on their own (Julio mentioned something about having to go back to Tristain Castle in a couple of weeks), sat atop the Des Orniéres mansion, just glancing at Halkenginia's twin moons. There wasn't much going on around inside the rest of the compound. As far as he could see, the only ones who were still up were a handful of the more nocturnal Assassins, and from what he could see, a couple non-human Assassins in the mix. It hadn't really occurred to him that there would be other beings like that in Halkenginia. Then again, he's only been in Halkenginia for about a month, so that is to be expected-

"Oh, there you are."

The Oriental Assassin looked down; Wales was standing directly below him, bent over, a bandaged arm, and with his hands bound by a pair of shackles.

"You were looking for me?"

"Yes, before I left, I was meaning to apologize to you after I apologized to Father Julio and his assistant Domani."

"And they probably hit you." Saito deadpanned as he leapt down in front of him.

"Julio nearly shattered the bones in my arm with some metal rod weapon and Domani kicked me in the crotch." Wales said with a sweatdrop.

"And you're telling me this why?" Saito raised an eyebrow.

Wales sighed and took a deep breath "As I wanted to say, I'm sorry for causing you any trouble, and for making you bail me out of that duel with the Emperor of Germania." He cringed and waited for an attack from Saito that never came.

"Calm down. I already got my anger out on you when I yanked you away from Henrietta and knocked you unconscious." Saito replied with a smirk "Just be happy I'm not my elder sister. She'd probably skin you alive for doing something like that."

"I'll keep that in mind if I ever meet her." Wales replied with another sweatdrop.

"Try not to," Saito pulled off his hood before extending his hand "Well, I might as well go out on a limb here and say that it was a mighty big honor to work with you."

"It's been an honor to work with you too." Wales said as he awkwardly shook his hand. "I have to be going back now. I guess I'll be seeing you at the wedding then." He started walking towards a carriage in the distance, but not before Saito stopped him again.

"Wales,"

"Yes?"

"Next time you Henrietta," Saito's expression turned serious "Tell her I didn't forget and she still owes me 50,000 ecu for the job I did for her."

Wales blinked "Huh?! How did she come to owe you so much money?!" Unlike Saito, whose knowledge of the economy system was pretty limited at best, Wales knew that much money would be enough to finance the Royalist faction's efforts in the civil war for several months. He began to wonder what he did for Henrietta to merit that much ecu.

"She'll know what I'm talking about." Saito reassured him, though all it did was add to Wales' confusion "Tell her that if you see her again."

"I-I'll keep that in mind…" Wales stuttered with a shocked expression as he went back towards the carriage taking him back to the port.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, Tristain Academy of Magic, Louise's room<strong>

Louise, like any faithful follower of Brimir, knelt down on the floor and prayed to God.

"God, I beseech thee," Louise prayed solemnly "I ask of thee, what is my role in thy divine plan? If granting me a lack of talent in magic and a rebellious familiar is any sort of test, then you must have seen me suffer enough throughout my life. My life seems fated to send me burden after burden. So please, I beg of you, if you have something in store for me, please give me a sign."

_*Knock, knock*_

As if on cue, a hooded figure knocked on her window. "Louise Francoise." The figure called out in a jovial tone.

Almost instantly, Louise recognized the stranger's voice "Princess Henrietta!" she hastily opened the window, letting her childhood friend in "What are you doing here? I thought you were to prepare for the wedding with the Emperor of Germania!"

Henrietta, pulling down her hood, embraced Louise and cried tears of joy "The circumstances have changed, and it's all thanks to your familiar!"

Louise blinked. "Eh?" was the most she could come up with.

"Your familiar; he brought my beloved Wales to me and gave us a new chance with our love! We're now engaged!"

She excitedly showed Louise Wales' Ruby Ring of Wind upon her hand.

"Yes, I wanted to thank you for bringing that amazing familiar of yours into this world and sending him to help us!" she paused "You did send him to us, didn't you?"

Louise hesitated. On one hand, the familiar's achievements are the master's achievements, so it was technically her right to claim Saito's deeds as her own. On the other hand, the same rule applies for the familiar's crimes. If she takes credit for Saito's actions, she will also be taking credit for his crimes as well.

"I already am aware of your familiar's crimes."

"!" Louise's head jerked up "What?! But how did you-"

"When he came into the castle, he was called out on being on wanted posters by one of Albrecht III's knights." Henrietta said with a sweatdrop.

Louise's face faulted, before she started to bow deeply in shame before hastily stuttering "YOURMAJESTYI'MSORRYFOREVERYTHINGTHATHEDIDICAN'TCONTROL-"

Henrietta calmed her down "Louise, it's okay. Despite all the damage he's done, it is apparent he only goes after the corrupt nobles anyway. After all, I am still alive, aren't I?"

"Well," Louise hesitated "That is true, but-"

"It is nothing to worry about." Henrietta smiled as she pulled back her hood and slowly walked back to the window "I really hope that you and your familiar can make it to the wedding-"

_*CRASH!*_

A large metal object pierced through the window, barely missing Henrietta's head, before landing on the floor, spewing out a strange gas.

"What… the…" Louise yawned "I… feel… sleepy…" she said as she and Henrietta collapsed on the floor, asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Outside<strong>

"What the hell are you doing?" An Abstergo agent holding a metal case behind his back barked as his fellow agent fired a gas grenade onto a window on an upper floor.

"I thought I saw someone at that window up there." The other Agent replied.

The first agent shook his head "You know what, we already got the P.O.E.; we need to get out of here." He said as the two agents rejoined the rest of their team, the Piece of Eden in tow.

**A/N: Wow, if you look at Saito and Julio's case, they kinda have it rough; they practically lived most of their short lives in service to the Assassins, but with their status as familiars, they can never be fully trusted by them. Abstergo found the P.O.E. Saito came across in chapter 4. Yep, that's probably not the last victory they're gonna have either. So… uh, did you guys see the Assassin's Creed IV manga? Yes, it exists; it's pretty good if you ask me. The gap between chapters leaves a lot to be desired, but overall, it could've been worse. Anyways. Please review!**


	12. Witch Hunt

**Assassin in the void**

**By psychored1911**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed or Familiar of Zero**

**Welcome back to one of the very few AC fics that actually bother to take place in the Modern Day Era. Now thanks for being patient with me, and on with the show. You're gonna like this fic, I guarantee it.**

**Chapter 12: Witch hunt**

**Morning, Tristain Academy of Magic, Louise's room**

"Ugh, what happened?" Louise muttered as she groggily woke from her gas-induced slumber. "What the hell happened last night?" she stumbled towards a nearby chair, wondering what happened last light "Alright, last thing I remember, Henrietta was about to leave, then some weird thing broke my window…" she looked at the ground, completely scattered with glass, a strange metal object (perhaps the one that broke her window) and an unconscious Princess Henrietta, snoring away at the floor.

…

…

…

'_Wait a second…'_

"Princess Henrietta!" Louise scrambled out of her seat and to Henrietta's side "Your highness! Please wake up! Dawn has already broke!" she hastily shook her, trying to wake her.

"…Let me sleep in, Mazarin…" Henrietta muttered in her sleep, before jolting upwards "Wait, did you say it was past dawn?!" she hurriedly got to her feet, hastily fixing her dress and her hair "Oh dear founder, I have to return to the castle before noon, before they realize I am gone! Please excuse me, Louise Francoise!" Henrietta said as she opened up the partially broken window and quickly levitated herself out.

* * *

><p><strong>About half an hour later<strong>

Louise, now in her school uniform, yawned as she made her way to the Academy's central building, the discomfort of sleeping on the floor still lingering in her back. She had no classes today, but she, along with Guiche, Kirche and Tabitha still had to take remedial classes from Colbert for all the days they had missed. After walking for a few minutes, she noticed a pair of guards were crowding around the storage tower.

"Ah, that old Headmaster's gonna have our heads for this." One guard muttered.

The other guard shook his head "It's weird though. Nothing appears to be stolen. And the only damage seems to be the lock."

"Yeah, but did you see the damage on that lock? It looked like it was hit with some sort of high-powered explosive."

"Either that, or they used one of the Valliere girl's spells." The second guard joked.

The first guard shushed his comrade "Shut up. Where's your respect for the nobility?"

Watching as the two guards converse (and their particular jab about her), Louise growled, but kept quiet the whole time; it would be unbecoming of her as a noble if she were to unleash her rage right then. As much as she would have hated to admit it, but she has already gotten used to it by this point. It was pointless anyway. It will just pop up again later when she isn't noticing. Besides, as of late, they haven't been as infuriating as Saito's antics.

But enough of that; she still needed to go to Professor Colbert's classroom.

* * *

><p><strong>A bit later, Colbert's classroom<strong>

Once Louise caught up to her other classmates, they found themselves waiting for the bald professor to arrive; it was quite unusual for the bald.

"Sorry! So sorry!" Suddenly, said bald professor came rushing into the classroom, pushing a cart with a heavy-looking contraption on it. "Ah, forgive me for being so late. I was going to arrive earlier, but the deliveryman who was bringing me some parts earlier this morning was curious about my invention." He motioned to his contraption on the cart before continuing "However, as I explained it to him, I didn't realize how late I was running, and here we are now." He sheepishly laughed as he scratched the back of his bald head, until he realized that the students could really care less.

A drop of sweat rolling down her forehead, Louise decided to give her professor some form of pity "Um, professor, what exactly is that anyway?"

"Oh, this?" Colbert went over to the contraption "This is a machine I created out of my own design. It uses the energy of fire magic and oil to move the inner mechanisms and makes it move." To make his point, He cast a low level fire spell, placed it near one of the cylinders, and after a few seconds, a fake little snake popped out from a different cylinder. "See?"

…

…

"I see you aren't interested…" Colbert sweatdropped before sighing "Alright then, moving on." He said as he continued the extra credit lesson.

* * *

><p><strong>Tristain Castle<strong>

Henrietta somehow managed to sneak back into her room before anyone has realized that she went missing. And for the most part, nobody in the castle has noticed her even leave.

Well, almost everyone.

"Henrietta," Henrietta turned around; her mother, Queen Marianne was standing right behind her "We need to talk about the events that had occurred the other day."

"Such as?" Henrietta feigned innocence.

Queen Marianne frowned "You know well of what happened yesterday; how Prince Wales of Albion waltzed in and practically shattered our relationship with Germania."

"Mother, I can-"

"Not only that," Marianne affirmed her right to speak "I heard that the white-hooded psychopath had broke in the castle and threatened to raze Germania if he ever shows up in Tristain again."

Henrietta frowned. It seems that Emperor Albrecht II has lied to her mother regarding the 'incident' that occurred earlier. "Mother, I believe there is a misunderstanding. Prince Wales had challenged Albrecht II for my hand in marriage; Sai- the white-hooded psychopath simply volunteered to fight as Wales' proxy. Prince Wales won my hand fair and square."

"…I see…" Queen Marianne answered hesitantly "Regardless, this problem regarding that sociopath is starting to spiral out of control. It is an embarrassment to our great country that we let such an insane murderer on the loose in our streets."

Henrietta frowned "I don't understand your malice to him. There is evidence to support that if anything, he only goes after the corrupt nobility; he abstains from touching any others."

"Regardless, this cannot go any further." Queen Marianne told her daughter "Our Griffin Knights have volunteered for exterminating this 'pest' of ours."

Henrietta gasped "You don't mean-"

"He is nothing more than a plague that is exterminating our nobility. Regardless if he only attacks our corrupt nobility, this cannot continue." Marianne frowned as she turned away from our

"But mother-"

"I don't know why you seem to have some attachment to the murderer, but this is final. By the end of the week, that madman will be off our streets; our nobility will have nothing to fear any longer." Marianne said as she briskly walked away from her daughter.

Unbeknownst to them, an Assassin spy was listening on them from behind a window.

'This 'white-hooded psychopath' was one of our own, isn't he? I better alert HQ.' The spy thought as he called forth a carrier pigeon onto his arm, before writing a quick note, attaching it to the pigeon's leg, and sending it on its way, hoping the warning wouldn't come too late.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile, Tristainia, downtown District<strong>

After the affair with Wales the previous night, Saito (with permission from the higher-ups) went back to Tristainia to get a headstart on the wanted posters that were scattered all over the city. After all, it's not like he can take down a couple posters and then the city will immediately forget his crimes; it's gonna take a lot more than that to make the town forget his face.

So far, he took down at least a dozen or so posters, and…

"Hey, wasn't that the guy who slayed Count Mott?"

"No, I'm pretty sure that guy killed Lord Turenne."

He's not even close to being faceless.

'Seriously, if you forget the easy stuff, it will always come back to bite you in the ass.' Saito thought to himself as he sat upon one of the rooftops. In hindsight, he did notice signs that his notoriety was increasing, but he didn't act upon it until now.

He looked down at the masses of people, just going on with their day to day lives, without a care in the world. However, he knows that somewhere down there, there's a pair of Assassin handlers down there, hiding in plain sight.

_*WHOOSH!*_

A diluted yet still powerful gust of wind flew far over Saito's head, shattering the rooftops far behind him.

Saito leapt to his feet, alarmed "The hell?!" He drew Derflinger and took a defensive stance before turning towards the immediate threat.

Before him, an entire squadron of fifteen or so Griffin Knights, rider and mount covered in heavy armor, flew overhead, their wands trained at him. And leading them all is none other than the Viscount Wardes himself.

"You! White Devil!" Wardes boomed, his wand-sword trained at the Assassin "By the Order of Queen Marianne de Tristain, you are under arrest for crimes against Tristain! Surrender or die!"

Saito, though unseen under his hood, rolled his eyes "Oh come on! I let you and your warriors live, and this is how you repay me?"

"Let us live?!" Wardes roared "Your definition of 'live' meant for us to be bound and gagged, trapped in a prison surrounded by a blazing inferno, where we would have_ still_ died slowly and painfully either by suffocation or by burning alive! Is that what you call mercy?!"

"And here you are, alive and kicking, you ungrateful fuckwad!" Saito shot back "Besides, it's not like you had much time left to live anyway!"

"I'm only 26 years old!"

"Yeah, keep calling yourself that; it's called a mid-life crisis where I come from. Quit denying your real age; it's just pathetic by this point!" Saito stabbed Derflinger into the ground and folded his arms, honestly believing Wardes is going through some sort of 'phase'.

Wardes' anger was starting to boil out of control "As much as I would love to end your life right here and now, I must bring you in front of the Royal Council for your crimes. Now come quietly or face the consequences!"

Saito glanced towards the streets; some of the crowd were standing in the busy streets, watching in anticipation. Some fled with the preceding wind spell, his handlers were hiding behind a corner, out in the Griffin Knights' blind spot, pistols ready. However, they knew despite their anti-magic equipment, fighting against an entire squadron of Griffin Knights without the proper armament would be suicidal. However, if the Brimiric Legend was true, then they knew Gandalfr (Saito) would be more than able to handle them.

But, to everyone's surprise, Saito just sighed before putting Derflinger away. "You know what, I'm not in the mood for any sort of fight. Just leave me alone before I change my mind."

"…What?" Wardes blinked in confusion.

"You heard me. I'm not in the mood to fight against a bunch of washed up old men who clearly spent too much time wallowing in their pride to realize how easily unmatched they are."

"You… You dare mock the pride of the Griffin Knights?!"

"You mean the pride of has-been idiots who are too enraptured in their glory days to see the world around them, then yes, I am mocking your pride!"

His rage now overcoming his common sense, Wardes rallied his men "That tears it! Die!" He spurred his griffin forward, coming towards Saito at an incredible speed.

Saito, rolling his eyes once again, just stepped to the side, Wardes harmlessly passing him by. The second Wardes passed him by, Saito activated his hidden gun, spun around, and fired.

_*BANG!*_

The bullet hit the wing of Wardes' griffin, forcing him and it to slam towards the ground.

"You son of a bitch!"

Unfortunately for Saito, that single gunshot was all that was needed to spur the rest of the Griffin Knights, who were flying overhead from Wardes' earlier position, into action.

As for Wardes, he stumbled back onto his feet, leaning on his now incapacitated griffin for support, and barked "What are you waiting for! After him!"

_*tweet!*_

Saito's handlers signaled him to run as the Griffin Knights closed in on him. Saito did not hesitate as he leapt onto another rooftop as the Griffin Knights began pursuing him throughout the urban Tristainian canopy.

* * *

><p><strong>Tristain Castle<strong>

"Cardinal Mazarin!" Julio called out as he barged into the throne room. Like Saito, he was given permission to do his business for the Brimiric Church. In his case, he has to make his yearly review of the Church's status in Tristain. In short, he makes sure his fellow clergymen aren't up to any corruption. However, he usually comes in a few weeks early than he reports to catch his fellow clergymen off guard and red-handed. His summoner, Pope Vittorio Serevare, highly praises his idea, saying this technique helps cut down on any corruption.

Today is no different; Cardinal Mazarin, who was merely making small-talk with Queen Marianne at this point, jumped in surprise. "F-Father Cesare!" Mazarin stuttered "What a surprise! I did not expect you to arrive so soon. I was informed you were coming in three weeks."

"A wise man once asked "Why do tomorrow what you can do today?"" Julio quoted "So come on, tell me of the church's status in Tristain."

"A-Ah yes! Come with me!" Cardinal Mazarin urged as Julio and Domani, who was quietly standing behind Julio like a subordinate (a handler would bring too much suspicion, considering Julio usually just brings Domani around), followed the Cardinal out of the throne room and into one of the main halls. Cardinal Mazarin has heard of Father Cesare's reputation of hunting down corrupt members of the clergy with extreme prejudice. He has to be very careful of what he says and does.

As the two followed the Cardinal, who was making the usual excuse of 'Everything's fine', Julio glanced at one of the windows and paused "Psst… Dom, look outside." he whispered quietly enough so Cardinal Mazarin can't hear him.

Domani looked out the window "It looks like a squadron of Griffin Knights are chasing someone from the rooftops." He squinted his eyes "Wait a second, isn't that-"

"What are you looking at?" Cardinal Mazarin asked them glanced out the window. Instead of being surprised, he seemed pretty pleased. "Ah, you must be looking Tristain's famous Griffin Knights. They are composed of the country's finest riders-"

"Yeah, I can tell they are Griffin Knights. What I'm wondering is what they are doing." Julio said, pointing at the scene far away from them. From that angle, or any angle, it looks like they were pursuing something across the rooftops.

"Ah yes," Cardinal Mazarin smiled "Queen Marianne has decreed a citywide manhunt on this psychopath that has been terrorizing our nobility as of late, with our Great Griffin Knights leading the charge against him."

Julio stopped in his tracks and stared at him, before sighing, somehow knowing who the 'psychopath' is "So, you gave the Griffin Knights your blessing for this mission?"

"Why yes, of course!" Cardinal Mazarin declared proudly.

"And the Queen ordered the Griffin Knights to do this, no?"

"She did." Cardinal Mazarin affirmed.

"And you know what this 'psychopath' looks like, right?"

Cardinal Mazarin flinched "Well, no... But witness accounts say that this psychopath is known for wearing a white-hooded jacket, perhaps to evoke imagery of an angel."

Julio just facepalmed "You do realize that a white hooded jacket is a commonplace article of clothing. The color white reflects light, so as the heat doesn't get trapped within the clothing. Scholars and pilgrims wear them all the time. Hell, my companion behind me is wearing a white hooded jacket." He jabbed his thumb at Domani, who pulled up his white hood in response.

Cardinal Mazarin gave Julio a confused look "Father Cesare, I don't believe I follow."

Julio facepalmed again "Mazarin, you didn't give your blessing for a criminal manhunt. You gave your blessing for a witch-hunt."

Mazarin gave Julio an incredulous look "What?"

"A witch-hunt is practically a hunt for a ghost. You don't actually know what you're hunting, and it's been fueled only by paranoia and rumors. Because of its potential damage, they are outlawed by the church, with its instigators punished with excommunication." Julio explained, letting the last word ring in for a second.

Mazarin paled "F-Father Cesare! I assure you, the captain of the Griffin Knights, Viscount Wardes, has seen this criminal personally. Believe me, with him leading the charge, this murderer shll be removed from the streets of Tristain."

Julio's frown grew "Tell me, do you favor this Viscount Wardes?"

"Well, yes-"

"And has this Viscount Wardes disgraced himself at any point?"

Cardinal Mazarin hesitated "Umm… yes-"

A vein popped in Julio's forehead "All I see is that you allowed for an illegal witch hunt so that your golden boy can reclaim his honor!"

Cardinal Mazarin stepped back in panic "Father Cesare, I assure you, this is no witch hunt! The Griffin Knights are hunting down the serial killer as we speak."

Julio smirked "If you really believe that, you won't stop me from trying to prove it." He opened one of the windows and whistled as a small dove flew onto the porch before Domani took out a piece of paper and a pen and handed it to him "Here's what I'll do: I'll send a message to the Griffin Knights to lead their supposed fleeing target here, and if their target is nothing more than some frightened civilian, well just pray it doesn't come to that."

He took the piece of paper, quickly wrote down a small note and tied it to the dove's foot before letting it fly towards its target.

* * *

><p><strong>Tristainia, downtown district<strong>

"Come on! You claim to be Tristain's best?" Saito taunted as he lead the Griffin Knights into a less-populated (at least what he hoped was less-populated, considering his handlers were pointing him in that direction last time he saw them) area of town. Right now, he had no intention of killing anyone at the moment, no matter how tempting it was. For one, if he killed them now, all that would do is prompt even more aggressive pursuers, or even an Abstergo Attack Squad to come after him. That, and he left most of his guns (save for his USP) back at the HQ. He should really reconsider only bringing 2-3 guns on him at most; having all of those firearms were really detrimental to his running speed, not to mention his back.

He leapt off the rooftop and dived into a haystack in a cart, returning to ground level and

Above him, Wardes, now upon a new Griffin, led his Griffin Knights above him, his anger growing with each passing second "Find him! That bastard can run, but he can't hide!" he barked as the Griffin Knights dispersed, relentlessly searching for their target

As they scattered, Saito pulled himself out of the haystack and slumped behind the cart, exhausted. He may be the Gandalfr, but he was still human. Taking a large gasp of breath, Saito noticed a small dove descend and land right in front of him. He also noticed a note was tied to its leg "What the hell?" he took the note and began reading it. It read:

_Borrow a Tristainian Assassin Uniform and lead the Griffin Knights back to the Castle. Trust me on this!_

"Yep, this is Julio's handwriting," Saito crumpled up the note and put it in his pocket, glancing at the Castle in the distance. "So, I'm gonna need to borrow a uniform, huh? Though I doubt I can find my handlers and change with all these bastards around." he picked himself up and pulled out the Apple of Eden from within his hoodie "Well, if there's something an Assassin's good at, it's improvising." Replacing the Apple, he drew his USP, unscrewed the suppressor, and fired it skyward.

_*BANG!*_

* * *

><p><strong>Thirty minutes later, Tristain Castle Throne Room<strong>

"…"

"…"

"…"

Julio glared at Cardinal Mazarin and Queen Marianne, both of whom were uncomfortably trying to avoid eye contact with him. Of course, anyone would be if they realized that if they were in the wrong for their actions they would be banished from the Church indefinitely, completely disgraced. They prayed that Wardes was chasing after the right man.

_*CRASH!*_

Suddenly, A figure barged through the Throne Room doors, being shortly followed the famous Griffin Knights themselves.

"Stop you fiend!" Wardes roared as the figure scrambled behind Julio and Domani.

"No, you stop." Julio said simply.

With that command, Wardes' griffin stopped in its tracks, nearly throwing Wardes off.

"What?!" Wardes yelled, trying fruitlessly to spur his Griffin into action. "Move, damn it!" he kept kicking at his Griffin, yet it refused to moved.

Julio glanced towards Marianne and Mazarin again, knowing that Wardes' near hysterical behavior at the moment was certainly not helping their case at the moment "Knight, realize where you are!"

At that moment Wardes realized his current location; he turned back towards his fellow Knights- they stopped at the door while Wardes kept going forward. They were looking at him, trying to hide their equally embarrassed looks.

"I assume you are the Leader of the Griffin Knights, correct?"

He looked down from his mount; Julio, no, Father Cesare was staring back at him, his pink and blue eyes piercing right into him.

"U-Um yes, that would be me. I am the captain of the Griffin Knights, Jean-Jacques Wardes. At your service."

Wardes, recognizing Julio as a higher-up from the Church, dismounted his griffin and bowed to the young priest before him.

Julio, ignoring Wardes' attempts to save face, pulled out what looked like a smartphone, a Profiler, from his pocket, glanced at it, before returning his attention to Wardes "Viscount Jean Jacques Wardes of the Wardes family. You were brought up from a disgraced noble lineage, but through your own perseverance, you managed to become at the top of your class, rise through the ranks of the Griffin Knights, and redeem your family's disgraces. All of that before you turned thirty years old."

"Why, that's correct." Wardes said proudly.

Julio glanced at his Profiler again "Your most recent endeavor was stopping a prison riot that occurred in an illegal political prison," his attention shifted towards Marianne and Mazarin again before returning to Wardes "Where you lost and was captured by this "white-hooded boy"."

"Y…Yes, that is also correct." Wardes admitted reluctantly.

"I see." Julio still glanced at his Profiler "Then you went crying over to Mazarin here and he authorized a witch hunt for you to 'redeem' yourself, and as such, you thought chasing some innocent messenger and using him as a scapegoat could restore your honor?"

"I chased no such scapegoat!" Wardes hastily declared in an attempt to save face.

Julio raised a brow "Oh? So if the one behind my friend showed himself to you, would he be this phantom you were chasing?" He signaled Domani to move, revealing an obviously terrified boy in a delivery uniform standing behind him "Because it looks like you tried to kill an innocent soul to save your own reputation."

Wardes paled in shock. That was definitely not the white-hooded criminal who had disgraced him "Y-Your holiness! I swear to you that was not the one I was chasing! I was chasing-"

"I've seen just about enough of this." Julio spat in disgust. "Obviously, you thought that this young lad was just minding his own business when you thought he would make a perfect scapegoat and began attacking him. Frightened and confused, he fled for his life and when you tried to lure him here, you tried to have him killed immediately so as to avoid explaining it to us now."

"What?!" Wardes yelled, not understanding what he was saying "What are you-"

"Mazarin." Ignoring Wardes futile justifications, Julio just glanced at the Cardinal "Please explain to me why you think that his attempted murder of an innocent civilian is justified."

"W-Well um…" Mazarin stumbled upon his own words, trying to justify attempted murder "They _are_ only peasants-"

_*SMACK!*_

Julio took out his baton and extended it before slamming it into Mazarin's knee, shattering it.

"AAAAH!" Mazarin cried out in pain and fell to his knees as Julio towered over him, his two mismatched eyes glaring at him all the way.

"Is that really your only justification? They are only peasants?" Julio said in contempt "Let me tell you a story about another country that had that kind of mentality. The Nobility of said country believed that they had every right to do whatever they pleased, and as such they cared nothing about their own people, the people they were supposed to lead. For years, the people had suffered the cruelty of men too fed to starve, too rested to care. While the people suffered, wailing for help all the while, the nobility gorged themselves in exquisite banquets, enjoying their lavish lifestyles, ignoring their struggles to survive. They made the people fight in a series of military campaigns on behalf of kings who cared more about their legacy than their people. They levied heavy taxes on the poor to shoulder their on greed. Do you want to know what happened next? The commoners had enough of their _merda_ (shit) and revolted! And it wasn't one of those riots that you can easily quell with your stupid knights. It was a revolt that overcame the entire nation! The people began seeking the blood of all those who had oppressed them! Nobles, commoner, clergy, nobody was spared in this bloody revolution. Tens of thousands of lives were lost! It was utter chaos that lasted for decades! And do you know why this happened? Because the ones who were granted the right to rule lost their respect for the people."

Julio grabbed Mazarin by the collar and lifted him up before throwing him back to the ground "This arrogant behavior will not be tolerated. Expect to hear from the Church in the coming weeks." He turned to Queen Marianne "You, I want you to take down those stupid wanted posters of this "white-hooded criminal". As far as I see it, this is obviously nothing more than a diversion to save face of nobles who were killed by their own servants." Finally, he faced Wardes, who was slowly backing away from Julio "And you, take off that armor. You don't deserve the right to be a knight. In fact, you don't deserve the right to even be a noble." He twirled the baton in his hands before pointing it at him "By the power invested in me, you, Viscount Jean-Jacques Wardes, for your blatant disregard of the common people, attempted murder and for your corruption, are hereby excommunicated from the Brimiric Church." A collective gasp was heard as Wardes paled in shock "May God have mercy on your soul."

Wardes, the shock of being excommunicated too much to bear, buckled to his knees, his dignity of a noble now gone "No, please… your Holiness, please reconsider… I have so much to live for, my family's legacy… my own hopes and dreams… I was to be engaged…"

Julio rolled his eyes. Even to this very moment did the disgraced noble before him only care about himself than realize the severity of his own actions "Then you should have thought about that before you fell in the wrong. Now get out of my sight." He said virulently before turning and walking towards Domani and the messenger boy.

Distraught, Wardes looked at the messenger boy, the one he 'mistook' for the one who had disgraced to him. It might have been the hysteria in him talking, but he swore that the messenger boy was _smirking _at him.

And then it hit him: the messenger boy _was_ the white-hooded criminal. It was nothing more than a quick disguise. And his Holiness was falling for it.

"You, you did this…" Wardes, in his delirium, drew his rapier-wand and pointed it at the messenger boy. Unfortunately, to everyone in the room, including the Griffin Knights at the doorway, he seemed to be pointing it at Julio "You planned this, didn't you! You ruined my life!" in his hysteria, he charged at them, attempting to run them down.

_*BANG!*_

However, before he harmed any of them, Domani pulled out one of his pistols and unceremoniously shot him in the neck, killing him instantly, his body inelegantly skidding across the stone floor upon impact.

"…"

"…"

"…"

Marianne, Mazarin, and the Griffin Knights just stared in horror at Wardes' corpse, and then at the one who killed him.

"What? He was going to kill his Holiness." Domani said with a scoff "What kind of a servant would I be if I let him get killed?"

Julio just stared at the corpse, shaking his head in disappointment "And the _bastardo_ didn't even try to redeem himself. He just attacked the one he thought had wronged him." He looked at Mazarin "You, dispose of that pitiful corpse and sell his armor, then donate that money to the commoners. They deserve the money far more than you do right now."

And with that, Julio and Domani vehemently left the throne room, silently muttering last rites, with the messenger giving a quick glance at the queen and the cardinal, before reluctantly following suit.

* * *

><p><strong>Mere minutes before<strong>

Saito climbed into a window and stumbled into one of the Castle's large hallways, the Griffin Knights still hot on his heels.

"He's in the castle! Get him before he gets to the Queen!" he heard Wardes bark as he took the Apple of Eden out of his pocket.

"It's now or never." He said to himself "Julio better have something to save my hide…"

_*Crash!*_

The Griffin Knights crashed through one of the larger windows, directly behind Saito.

"There he is! Get him!"

"Ah shit." Saito muttered as he made a break for the throne room, the Griffin Knights unleashing a myriad of diluted spells behind him.

"You won't get away!" He heard Wardes roar as he sprinted towards the throne room doors. Seconds before he made contact with the doors, he grasped the Apple and basked in its light.

_*CRASH!*_

* * *

><p>Five hours later, Julio, who was now in his casual attire, and Domani walked into a nearby alley, with the messenger boy still following them.<p>

Julio and Domani stopped in their tracks and turned around "Saito, it's been five hours. You can return that uniform now." Julio told him.

The messenger boy smiled "No need." He started to glow radiantly for a split second before reverting back into the white Kevlar-wearing Assassin.

Julio and Domani blinked in surprise "How did you do that? You're not a mage." Domani glanced at Julio "He isn't a mage, right?"

Julio shook his head "No, he was born in the same world as I am. The closest thing we have to magic is-"

"The Pieces of Eden," Saito finished, holding the Apple of Eden in his left hand.

Julio's eyes widened "You were holding onto that the whole time?!"

"No, only for a couple weeks." Saito answered.

"And you didn't tell anyone about it?!"

"Actually I think Master Ellicott ofAlbion knows about it. She just entrusted me with it until I can get it somewhere safe."

"And you didn't hand it over to HQ because…"

"What was I supposed to say: "Hey Master Louette, I'm holding an Artifact that our enemies would do anything to get their hands at and I want to leave it in an area densely populated with our brethren."? I highly doubt they'd go through with it."

"Yeah, well those things can degrade your head as easily as the Animi did to part of the Russian Brotherhood."

"And there's another reason I didn't bring it there."

"Can someone please explain what's going on?" Domani asked, utterly confused.

Julio shook his head "He was holding onto an Artifact that could potentially give him a mental breakdown should he hold onto it for a prolonged periods of time. And now he doesn't know what to do with it."

Saito threw his hands up in exasperation "Look, Julio! Don't worry about it! Unless the Templars want to take on an army personified, then it's safe in my hands. I'll inform the higher-ups about it-"

Suddenly, Saito's vision started to blur, with the world around him seemingly starting to spin and glow various shades of light.

"…Ah… _kuso_…" was all he managed to say before his whole world went black.

* * *

><p><strong>Late Night, outskirts of Sachsen-Gotha, Albion<strong>

_*knock… knock… knock…*_

"Huh?" Matilda of Sachsen-Gotha, otherwise known as Fouquet, was sitting near the fireplace with her sister when someone began knocking on the door. "Who could that be?"

Matilda's sister, Tiffania, looked at her quizzically "I don't know, all the children are sleeping upstairs, so that can't be it."

_*knock… knock… knock…*_

"Hold on, I'm coming." Matilda said as she got up from her seat and walked over to the door.

Opening the door, Matilda was met with an unusual sight; before her, a young girl with white hair and blue eyes, garbed in an exotic black armor, stood at the doorstep.

"Excuse me, does a Matilda of Sachsen-Gotha live here?" the girl asked.

Matilda tensed, growing wary of the girl before her "I am her. Who are you?"

The white haired girl looked embarrassed "Oh, where are my manners? My name is Luce Aurora de Treville." She offered her hand, which Matilda hesitantly shook "May I come in?"

Matilda glanced at Luce, staring at the weapons she was wearing "Leave your weapons at the doorstep."

"Of course." Luce complied, removing two mismatched swords, a pair of pepperbox pistols, another pair even stranger looking pistols, and a short wand from her person and placed them at the door. "May I come in now?"

"You may." Matilda welcomed her in and let her sit at the table "So, what is your business with me?"

Luce glanced at her, almost analyzing her before saying "Well, I'm working for a… certain organization and I was told to offer you and your sister a job."

Matilda raised an eyebrow, inconspicuously reaching for the wand hidden under her sleeve. Whoever this girl is, she definitely seems to know something about her past. "What are you talking about?"

Luce seemingly feigned innocence "I don't know what you are talking about. I was just told to offer you two jobs and not to accept no for an answer."

Matilda shook her head "Look, we're not interested in any job you're offering us. Now please, kindly leave."

Luce glanced up at the ceiling, then at Tiffania, and then at the rest of the cottage, before taking a breath "Do you want those children to have a better life?"

"Huh?"

"I can hear the snoring of children upstairs." Luce told her "It's good that you and your sister are taking care of them, orphans I assume, but what happens when they grow up? If you let them go into the city after living their entire lives here, they will have little to contribute to society and might end up as beggars. If you let them stay here, well you seem to be sustaining yourselves just fine for now, but kids will grow, they will consume more, and eventually you will need more and more just to keep them barely alive. You might even have to resort to crime to provide for them."

Matilda glared at Luce, who just stared stoically back at her. However suspicious this girl is, she cannot deny the truths she speaks. She couldn't keep sustaining them forever, no matter how hard she works. She might even have to return to her identity as Fouquet "Go on…"

Luce gave her a slightly more comforting smile "Here's my offer: you and your family come with me to Gallia, where you and your sister will work with my organization. I am prepared to offer you and your sister 2,000 ecu each month, plus housing and an education provided for all of the children, at no expense to you. I promise you that if you two take this job, their futures will be much brighter than you can ever imagine." She offered her hand "So, what do you say?"

…

…

…

"If it's for the children, and for my sister, then I guess it's for the best." Matilda shook Luce's hand. "Deal."

"I'm happy you feel that way. My people will pick you up in the morning." Luce stood up and left two badges, each emblazoned with a distinct red cross. "These are for you and your sister. Glad to have you two on our team."

As Luce made her way to the door, Matilda stopped her "Wait, you never told us the name of your Organization."

Luce turned to her, giving her a small smile "We call ourselves the Templar Order."

**A/N: And done! Yeah, sorry about the slow update, I'm in my senior year of high school and I'm having a hard time adjusting. Trust me, this fic isn't dead yet. I'll still update it. I'll just not know when I will update it. Meh, I'll figure it out. The pieces are all there so… So, how did you like the ending? I guess you didn't expect any of that, now did you? Anyway, please review!**


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